Hand on the Devil
by Takada Saiko
Summary: Auggie is shot after discovering an interesting bit about Liza Hearn's leak. Why is it that all the evidence points towards Jai Wilcox as the shooter and can Jai clear his name? Co-written with Gabrielle Day. R
1. Chapter 1

Title: Hand on the Devil

Authors: Takada Saiko and Gabrielle Day

A/N: Holy freakin' crap. We're finished writing The Farm, and I swear I will finish posting the rest this week, but this is what happens when Gabi and I end up in the same apartment. Plot bunnies devour us. It's been a blast and we're having tons of fun with this one. As much fun as the Farm has been, I think this one may top it. So I may be getting a little over-zealous here, but I'm posting the first chapter. Enjoy!

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As the shot fired, sound muffled to Jai's ears by disbelief, and he watched Auggie fall, he felt the ends of his world begin to unravel. He was running, heart pounding, mind racing and none of it mattered. All of the pieces clicked into place and simultaneously scattered in his mind. He knelt by Auggie, felt the blood smear over his fingers, heard Annie screaming at him as she ran towards them. Auggie's lips moved and his breath turned to wisp against the cold air. _You did this. You did this. _Jai knew he was right.

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**Chapter One.**

Auggie shifted again for the fifth time in what had probably only five minutes. His dedication to discovering the leak had been noted, Arthur had told him, and he needed him for one more op. Being that Joan was actually in on this one he was required to stay behind the computer and swear that he would not go into the field. Because him saying so meant something. Right.

It was funny how his eyes felt tired as if they were actually doing some work while staring in the general direction of his computer screen. His fingers were tired from constant movement over the readouts and he was about to call it quits when something of interest came up.

It was a description of a photo buried in an archive and long forgotten. Originally archived due to the identification of an informant, located in the table in the far left of the photograph. Secondary review had identified former Director Henry Wilcox with unidentified female companion. Auggie frowned. He rubbed the palm of his hand before requesting the system to run a new id process. Who would possibly go on a date with Henry Wilcox?

He flipped on music while he waited, the comforting sound of Mingus filling his ears. He must have dozed off because the system confirming new id's made for people in the photograph startled him. New identification made for bar patron, third stool from the left. New identification made for waiter, forward frame in the center. New identification for unknown female companion of former Director Henry Wilcox.

It was a name that he knew well. Auggie felt every muscle tighten with the sudden realization of what this could all mean - and the private disgust with realizing just whose toothbrush he'd received instead of his own - for the CIA and their department. Apparently Henry Wilcox was more dangerous than any of them gave him credit for, and they gave him quite a bit of credit.

There was a tapping at his door and he waved to whoever might be on the other side, blacking out his screen and pulling his headset from his ears. "Yes?"

"And I thought that I was one of the only ones here this late," Jai Wilcox's smooth voice attempted to joke. He sounded as tired as Auggie felt. "Joan's asking for a report on an active search."

Auggie managed a half smile. "Yeah, you know me. Burning the midnight oil. Thanks for letting me know."

"Sure." Jai said.

Auggie heard the door start to slide close and he decided to act on an impulse, throwing his faith into his ability to have good judgment about people. Even if he didn't like Jai very much. "Hey, Jai?"

"Yeah?"

"Hang on a second, would you?" There was silence and for a second Auggie thought he'd left. He sighed. "As in would you please come in here and shut the door?"

The door slid shut and Jai sounding cautious said, "Yes?"

Auggie's fingers lingered over the keys as he thought about the best rout. Jai was not the biggest fan of his father, he knew, but it also would be a stretch to think that he would react... well. "Listen," the tech op began slowly, tasting the words as they left his mouth. "This isn't exactly protocol, but I found something that you should probably see." He pulled up to screen and motioned for Jai to come look. He heard the tap of expensive shoes on the floor and felt the presence of a tall individual next to him, peering over his shoulder. Silence followed. After several more moments in the same manner, Auggie called Jai's name to make sure that he was, indeed, still there and he hadn't missed something. "Jai? Are you breathing?" he asked.

"What is this supposed to be?" Jai asked. The cold tone in his voice made

Auggie start to tense up again. Maybe this hadn't been the best decision. "It's a picture." Auggie said, trying to make sure he didn't sound sarcastic - at least overly so. "Of Liza Hearn and your father having dinner in a restaurant in a neighborhood of Manhattan that isn't usually visited by anybody of any political importance. It isn't a recent photo." Auggie was fairly certain the temperature in the room was dropping with each word he spoke

"Would there be a reason that you're spying on my dad?" Jai asked, his words careful and deliberate.

"I wasn't," Auggie assured him and glanced in what he hoped was his direction. Eye contact - whether he could actually see or not - had always seemed to put people at ease. "I was looking for our next step in the Liza Hearn leak and this picture was buried."

"That's a dangerous accusation, Auggie."

"Look, I'm telling you because it's your dad. Regardless of the relationship or lack there of between the two of you, I thought you should know. I'm going to report my findings to Joan and Arthur and they can do with it what they feel is right. For the Agency."

"So this is how you think you're going to break back into the field, is it? Bring down the big, bad Wilcox who left his stain on the department. And I'm sure this has nothing to do with the animosity you have towards me." Jai said, stepping away and clenching his fists. "It's just a photo that like you said, isn't even recent. It doesn't mean my father had anything to do with the leak. You're grasping at straws because you're getting desperate."

"I told you because I thought you'd want to know," Auggie growled, standing. He grabbed his laser cane and shined the green light out before him. "Sorry I even mentioned it." With that he left his office, heading towards Joan's.

Jai slammed the door behind him as he left moments later. He swung by his desk to grab his keys and his jacket and brushed by Auggie as he headed toward the elevator, clipping him in the shoulder.

Auggie was momentarily thrown off balance but didn't fall. "Okay, you're the one who can actually watch where they're going." Auggie snapped.

"I was." Jai replied

Jai's footsteps could be heard until they stopped by the elevator and it dinged the announcement that he was leaving. Auggie could almost feel the stress in the air as he turned towards Joan's office and rapped his knuckles against the door. After half a moment the door pulled open. "You are still here," she murmured as if she had expected him to have snuck off home.

"Of course, and I may have found something."

"Are you okay? What is it?" Joan asked, standing and crossing the room to him.

"I'm fine. It's this." he handed the print out of the picture to her.

Joan frowned at him, the slump of his shoulders and the crease between his eyebrows telling her that he was not in fact fine. She glanced down at the picture, focusing first on the party in the foreground, the young woman bent over candles on a cake. Her gaze moved to the back of the photo, noting the lone man in the booth, the lone man at the bar, and finally the couple at a table. Her frowned deepened. "Is that Henry Wilcox?" She murmured.

"Yes." Auggie said.

The girl looked familiar, but young. She studied it for half a second more before it hit her. She glanced sharply at Auggie. "That's Liza Hearne."

"Yes." Auggie said tightly.

"How old is this?"

"Taken last year, about the time that Liza started publishing her articles."

Joan sighed heavily as she moved to her desk. "This could potentially blow up after everything that's come down around us. The Director has been bringing Wilcox in as a consultant to the Agency. He thinks he'll bring about results." Auggie could almost hear her frown. "I'll get this to Arthur. Don't worry. Go home, get some sleep. You look exhausted."

"Thanks Joan." He turned to leave, but heard her voice behind him and stopped at the door.

"One more thing," she called. "How... How is Annie holding up?"

"She hides things well," Auggie murmured, and they both knew that it would be a long time before they could hope to see the old Annie back again. Auggie sighed against that thought and straightened. "Just a side note, I did tell Jai." He waited to for the explosion that he was sure would come.

"When?" Joan asked sharply.

"Just a few minutes ago." Auggie said.

"Did you think that was the wisest course of action?" she asked, leaning against her desk.

"Yes. No. I don't know." Auggie sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I thought it was...a courtesy. It is his father. I'm sorry."

Joan breathed in deeply through her nose. "We can probably rule out an element of surprise. Jai is sure to confront Henry."

"You could call him," Auggie said. "Tell him not to do it."

"Maybe it's better if he does. If he spooks Henry, he's more likely to get sloppy and make a mistake. I'll call Arthur right now." She reached out and squeezed his arm. "You did what you thought was best. We'll work from there. Now get some rest, okay?"

A tired grin crossed his face. "I'm late for happy hour at the Tavern, so I plan to sleep well _after_."

Joan shook her head as she watched him leave. She picked up the phone and dialed a number that she knew well. "Arthur. We have a very serious problem."

* * *

Jai found himself outside of his father's house with no real intention of being there. He looked up to the great, large door and the lavished house that he felt had to have been paid with less than honorable money and he clenched his fist. As he approached the door he glanced around to the side drive where, in the distance, he saw what looked to be a long-legged brunette climbing into a car. His father was standing there. Jai stepped forward, waving and calling out to announce his presence.

The car door quickly slammed shut, the engine revved and sped down the driveway. Jai had time enough to memorize the license plate and a whole new sick feeling twisted in his gut.

Henry stood, cool eyes appraising his son. "Jai. What do you want?" he asked. He gave Jai another second before turning and walking away, causing Jai to increase his pace to catch up.

"I need to talk to you." Jai said, watching the car until he couldn't see it anymore before looking at Henry.

"I can't imagine what you have to say that you couldn't have said over the phone. And I wish you wouldn't come up without warning. I am a...busy man, you know."

"There are some things that should be said in person. Like the fact that I'm really starting to question if that was Liza Hearn that just left your house, Dad," Jai growled out, causing his father to halt and stand very still.

"Why would that even cross your mind, son?" Henry murmured, a glare set back against his son.

Jai's mind spun. That had been Liza. His father was the leak. Auggie had been right in his find. Good heavens, his father was the leak that might potentially cause harm to the operatives in the field. To Annie. To himself. They were just pawns in Henry's game. "I can't believe you. I knew that you're selfish and power hungry, but this takes it to a whole new level."

"I'd be very careful, if I were you, _son_." Henry warned. "There are some problems you can live with and there are problems that you have to take care of. Why did you come here? Nothing good will come of this."

"What the hell are you thinking? You're a traitor. To your family, to your self and to your country. You know, this is the first moment I'm actually ashamed to have to share your name." Jai said. He could hear himself getting louder, on the verge of shouting.

"What brought you here, tonight?" Henry asked again. This wasn't a random visit. His son had been tipped off, and Henry wanted to know by whom.

"I needed the truth. I got it. End of story." Jai turned to leave.

"Something having to do with Arthur Campbell, I'm sure," Henry said easily, his voice sounding very casual as he spoke. "I hear from a _very_ reliable source that Arthur's been making use of a certain computer specialist. I still can't believe some of the things these hackers can turn up through the internet." He watched his son's face carefully, and if he had not been on of the best he never would have seen the twinge of acknowledgement that quirked Jai's expression. "Keep something in mind, Jai. We do share the same name. The CIA finds people guilty by association and relation, you know."

"Lucky for me you do a damn fine job of not being found guilty for anything. Just dirty for everything. And unlike you, I may still have time to redeem my mistakes." Jai returned evenly. "You've gone too far this time. You're finished. It's only a matter of time." Jai turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To make an apology." Jai said shortly.

Henry Wilcox watched his son walk away, eying him carefully. A smile perked his lips as the black car sped away and he pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed. "Yes. I'd like to call in that favor, if you'd please."

* * *

"Allen's Tavern, please," Auggie directed the cab driver when he was picked up just down from Langley. His fingers moved easily, finding the numbers to a cell that he knew well. "Annie? Yeah, sorry I'm so late. I'll be there in a few. Just caught a cab from work." He smiled as she told him that Conrad, Stu, and several of the others had beaten him there already and he had to hurry to catch up with them on beers. And then she asked if Jai would be coming too.

"No." Auggie said. "He had better things to do." _Like kick puppies and run into blind people._ He added in his head. He promised he'd be there soon and hung up.

The cab driver slowed to a stop. "Hey, there seems to be a traffic accident up ahead and they're detouring everyone around. You want to get out here? It's only one block up and round the corner."

Auggie sighed. It just wasn't his day. "Yeah. Thanks." He handed cash forward and got out of the car, unfolding his cane. He headed towards the whooping sound of the siren and hoped the wreck wasn't too bad. His cell phone rang and he stopped to fish it out of his pocket.

* * *

Jai cut through the back alley, headed towards Allen's. It was freezing, an early cold snap that had caught most of the city unaware. He shoved his hands in his pockets and huffed out a breath. He glanced up and saw Auggie standing at the end of the Alley. Surprised, Jai called out to him. Maybe he could apologize before they got to Allen's and could just have a drink like normal people.

Auggie half turned at the sound of his name. The shot rang out. A split second later, Auggie collapsed and Jai was running.

Auggie had heard the sound of this name and turned on instinct, opening himself up more than he'd ever have known. It'd sounded like Jai and that within itself had surprised him. It had all blurred together for him with the gunshot and the sudden numbness that spread across his torso. He suddenly felt heavy and he felt his knees give way. When had he landed?

Auggie blinked rapidly against the darkness and found himself mentally cursing a bomb from years before that caused him to not be able to see if his attacker was coming or not. A sudden spasm of pain hit him and he choked against it. Was that Annie's voice he heard? It couldn't be. She was around the corner with the rest of their group enjoying a few drinks. Waiting on him.

He felt hands against him and surprisingly heard Jai's voice. The impossible clicked in his mind amongst the pain.

"Auggie! Auggie," Jai caught the side of Auggie's face with his hand as the tech agent's head lolled. Jai ripped his jacket off and pressed it against the wound which was blossoming with blood.

Annie had left the group and come around to wait for Auggie. She'd heard the shot, a feeling a dread spreading through her and she didn't know why. No one else had reacted, chalking the sound up to a car backfiring. She walked around the corner in time to see Jai kneel by Auggie who was laying on the ground, dark liquid pooling beneath him.

"Easy, Auggie," Jai murmured, pressing his coat against the wound. "Take it easy."

"Jai?" the tech op choked out, his voice sounding very off for the fact that the elder man was leaned over trying to staunch the flow of blood.

"Yeah. Listen Auggie, you were shot. You've got to lie still."

Auggie did his best to pull away from him, his mind racing. He'd heard his voice from the other end of the alley and then the shot. He knew Jai had been angry, but he would have never suspected such a violent reaction. He heard the accusation leave his lips, sounding distant to his ears.

Jai let up on the pressure, shocked.

"What?" Jai looked up to see Annie standing over them, white as a ghost. "Jai..?"

"Annie..." Jai said. _You did this. You did this_. It echoed in his ears, in the cold, in her eyes. "Annie...I..."

"What did you do?" Annie gasped. "What did you do?" her voice had risen to a cry, drawing the attention of the people around.

Jai looked, saw people on their cell phones, camera phones out, and he saw a couple of the police from the wreck headed in their direction. Annie had knelt and gave Jai a vicious shove away from Auggie. She cradled Auggie's face, calling to him softly. His eyes had shut; his body stilled save the short rise and fall of him still breathing. Jai stood, blood on his hands and knew exactly what his father had done. He started backing away. "Annie, please...I wouldn't. Never this." She looked up, tears spilling down her face, only to see Jai turn and run.

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A/N: Dun dun dun! So starts the really fun story. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I don't know if I stated this in the first chapter (and I'm sure you've figured this out, but best to note it anyway), but this is set maybe a month so after the finale. Ben Mercer, since we don't know for sure with that ending, is dead for the purpose of this story.

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**Chapter Two**

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All waiting rooms are the same. They encompass some version of a stiff-backed chair that the friends and family of the patient have to wait in. It may not be that the chair would have been uncomfortable in any other situation, but as Annie sat and waited for the doctor to come out and tell her how Auggie was, she hated those chairs.

It had been through a flurry of motion in which Conrad had come through and ordered an ambulance from Langley's private hospital facilities - one that had been called after the local hospital but arrived before - and set things up to get Auggie to the appropriate doctors. He'd personally given Annie a ride there, fear edged in his blue eyes as he watched the just-emotionally-recovering young woman who sat with blood staining her work clothes and a far off look in her eyes.

Annie shifted again in the stiff-backed chair and finally slid to the floor, hoping it might be comfortable.

"Annie?" Conrad asked. He squatted next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Annie? Are you okay?" She just looked at him. "I mean are you physically hurt?" Conrad asked softly. She'd been so quiet he hadn't considered that she may have been hit as well.

She shook her head. "No. I just couldn't take one more second on that chair." she said.

Conrad carefully sat next to her. "You want to talk about it?"

"I just watched my best friend get gunned down by someone I thought I knew. I think. That's all I've got. I can't even think about anything other than that." she said.

Conrad nodded. "Joan called. She and Arthur are both on their way."

"Wow," Annie murmured, half sarcastically. Her eyes remained trained on the door that she knew wouldn't open for some hours yet. She wanted her best friend. She wanted Auggie.

"You live at your sister's, right? Have you called her to tell her you'd be late?" Conrad asked gently. Certain things needed to be covered and she was in no condition to think of them herself. "No," Annie breathed out, shoulders slumping at the thought of the questions that would follow. What lie should she tell her sister that evening, even as she felt the emptiness that she'd fought for the last month returning so strongly. Was she working late? An accident? The latter would be better and might explain her attitude for the foreseeable future.

Conrad stood and helped Annie up off the floor. She took a stumbling step towards the end of the waiting room, finger hovering over the speed dial and unable to bring herself to push it right away. An accident at work...Auggie injured...yes, it was bad, no Danielle shouldn't come. That sounded reasonable. She held the phone to her ear and listened to the ringing. Her heart ached and she pressed her forehead against the window that overlooked the parking lot. She repeated her script to her sister, who took more convincing not to come to the hospital than Annie had energy for but she mustered the strength. She couldn't tell Danielle that they weren't at the hospital general, that they were at Langley because she and Auggie were agents. Because Auggie had been shot by Jai. Joan's hand on her shoulder sometime later startled her to attention. The sympathy and pain in Joan's face were more than she could take and Annie could feel the tears coming on again

"He'll be okay," Joan promised in low tones. "He's strong, and we have the best working on him."

"Do we know what happened yet?" Arthur asked, directing the comment at Conrad, but making it obvious that Annie was more than welcome to answer.

"We were all at the bar," Conrad answered quietly. "Annie came on it right after the shot rang out."

"Jai ran," Annie murmured. "Auggie... before he passed out, he seemed to think that Jai was the one that shot him." She turned her eyes to the husband and wife directors. "There's more to this. Why would that even be a question in his mind?" Her words were clipped and strained, tears still standing in her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall. She couldn't.

Joan and Arthur exchanged a quick glance and Arthur gave a short shake of his head. Joan pinched the bridge of her nose. "We'll know something soon. We have our people on scene right now going over every inch of that alley. Local PD isn't happy, but there isn't anything they can do about it until morning and we'll be gone by then." she said.

"Conrad, would you take Annie downstairs and get her a change of clothes, please? Ask the receptionist. She'll have something." Arthur said. When they were out of earshot, he stood close to his wife. "I've tried to contact Jai. His phone's offline. He's gone off the grid." he said grimly. "You don't really think he'd go this far to protect his father?" Joan asked quietly.

"He apparently was angry enough to upset Auggie," Arthur murmured thoughtfully. "Jai and Henry have always had a strained and strange relationship, and if he hadn't run I'd say I couldn't see it, but..."

"Running always makes one look guilty, if nothing else," Joan murmured.

They were interrupted by the ringing of her husband's phone and he pulled it open. "Campbell." A few seconds passed and he affirmed that he'd received the information and shut it again. "Jai's prints were matched on a gun that was found in a garbage dump a couple blocks away."

"No." Joan murmured.

Arthur gave her a curious look. "I may have had my reservations about Jai in my division, Arthur, but I never wanted anything like this. Certainly not at Auggie's expense."

Arthur reached out and rubbed her arms. "I know. He'll be okay. Like you said, he's strong. And he has a pretty girl waiting for him. That always helps." he said with a small smile. Joan's lips finally tugged upwards in a return smile.

Three hours passed before anyone was even able to come to tell them anything. An aging doctor with gray hair receding back and tired eyes of the same color exited and stood at the front of the waiting area. "Director Campbell?" he called and both husband and wife responded. Dr. Richard Easom, a regular doctor that had been Auggie's specialist just after Iraq smiled encouragingly. "Auggie's still in surgery," he said, noting the small crowd of worried friends that gathered around him to hear the news. "The good news is there doesn't appear to be any damage that can't heal. He's lost a lot of blood and he'll be very weak for a considerable time, I imagine. I'm afraid I can't tell you when they'll move him into post-op, or when you can see him, but I can promise I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"He's going to make it?" Annie asked.

"I believe so, yes." Easom said with a reassuring smile. "Auggie and I have had rounds before and this isn't hardly enough to do him in."

She smiled. She'd heard stories about the doctor that had been able to corral August Anderson enough to make him go to therapy following his tour overseas. Though Auggie never spoke overly kindly of the doctor, Annie could always here a deep, resounding respect for the man hidden behind the snide and snarky remarks. "Thank you."

"His surgeon will speak to you after he's wrapped up," Easom promised.

As the door closed behind Easom, Annie sagged and Joan automatically put an arm around her shoulders. "Hang in there." She said softly. In the back of her mind Annie knew it was an extremely generous gesture, and she accepted it with gratitude. She thought part of the reason the department became like family was because they couldn't afford to risk their own, even in moments of crisis or moments of grief.

Phone calls continued to come in to Arthur's cell and he would leave momentarily to discuss whatever new bit of intel had come in from the crime scene. He'd called in one too many favors this time to the MPDC to gain control over the scene and many of those that did not know the full story had not been happy. They were unable to find any trace of Jai's whereabouts and the lack of sleep into the early hours of the morning was weighing heavily on everyone. Finally the surgeon came out and announced that they had successfully removed the bullet. There had been a bit more damage than they originally expected, but he was still in the clear for then. He'd be moved to recovery and should be waking up within a short while. If they promised to go in one at a time and keep a very low key, they were welcome to go back there.

Joan touched Annie's arm and she shook her head. "You go first." Annie said. "I'll go at the end."

Joan glanced at Arthur, who nodded and Joan followed the doctor back into the recovery area. The area was open, separated by cloth dividers and Joan was grateful this was just a temporary stop. She slipped in behind the partition and tried not to wince at the sight before her. Auggie was still out, pale skin emphasized by the white sheets and the white bandages wrapping his torso. Joan stood by the side of the bed and pulled his blanket a little higher, brushing a piece of hair away from his forehead. "Auggie?" she called softly. "We're here." she added

Dark brown eyes fluttered open and looked around as if they were trying to focus. He blinked rapidly against the sleep and the darkness and Joan laid a hand on his shoulder. "Auggie. It's Joan."

He reached up and grasped at his boss' hand which she willingly gave. "Why is it," he croaked, his throat dry and grainy sounding, "that you're always here when I wake up?"

Joan chuckled lightly and gave his hand a light squeeze. "Habit, I suppose," she murmured. "Arthur, Conrad, and Annie are waiting outside to see you."

He blinked again, a confused look on his face as if he were trying to piece together what could have happened to bring that particular group of people to what smelled distinctly like a hospital. "What happened? Did I get hit by a car?" Auggie asked. He fought backwards through the night and the most he could remember was having some sort of argument with...someone.

"No, Auggie. Don't worry about it now. You're going to be fine." Joan said. His eyelids were already drooping, even as he struggled to stay awake. "Someone will always be here when you wake up, okay?" He squeezed her hand again and drifted back into the unknown.

Arthur and Conrad made very brief trips back to Auggie's bed, but both returned to announce that he was resting and they didn't have the heart to wake him. Perhaps Arthur's wish for information had been curbed by Joan's threatening glance towards him before he entered.

Finally Annie made her way back. A single chair sat by the bed and she closed her eyes on the sight. After a moment she reopened them and steadily walked forward to take a seat in the stiff chair. She really did hate those chairs, but somehow, even though this one didn't have the seat cushion the ones outside had, it seemed more comfortable as she could reach out for Auggie's hand and hold it tightly in her own.

Minutes ticked by and Auggie didn't stir. Annie didn't have the heart to wake him either for the simple reason she didn't know what she was going to tell him. If he didn't remember what happened she would have to explain and if he did remember she would still have parts to explain. The other part of her was getting rather desperate for him to wake up, just so she could know for sure he was going to be okay.

A nurse slid back the partition. "Sweetie, we're going to move him to his own room now. Would you like to come along?"

Annie nodded, grateful for her kindness. "Would you make sure they know in the waiting room?" she asked.

The nurse nodded. "Of course."

Annie held his hand all the way to the private room, stood by as they set everything up, and retook his hand as they left. Finally his eyes began to flutter open. "Auggie?" Her voice choked with the tears that were building again. She blinked them back and cleared her throat. She had to be strong.

Auggie gripped her hand tightly. "Annie," he breathed out, voice raspy. "What... are we in a hospital?" He wrinkled his nose as he spoke,

"Yeah." Annie said. "Yeah, we are."

"Are you okay?" Auggie asked.

Annie let out a short huff of laughter. "Seriously, Auggie?"

"It's a valid question. You sound tense. For all I know you're black and blue or have a broken arm or..." he broke off to cough. Annie stood to get him water. After he'd had some sips, she took his hand again.

"I wasn't hurt. What do you remember?"

"Not much. I remember leaving the office, getting out of the cab...there were sirens..."

"The wreck outside of Allen's Tavern," she acknowledged. At his look she hastily added, "None of us were involved."

Auggie closed his eyes in thought momentarily, trying to reach back into his dulled memory for at least some of what happened. "The cabbie let me off by the alley because of the wreck," he said slowly, thinking as he spoke. "I took the alley. I've done it before, not usually a big deal." He paused and grimaced. "I think someone called my name. Do you know what happened after that?"

Annie opened and closed her mouth what felt like a half dozen times, but no words come out. Danielle she could script for, Auggie she could not. "I...we're not really sure." She took a steadying breath. "You were shot, probably from a vantage point on a fire escape in the alley. Jai..." The image hit her, Jai standing or crouching in his position, waiting for Auggie, catching the tech agent in his crosshairs and pulling the trigger. She'd seen how good of a shot he was. He was a deadly aim when he wanted and needed to be.

Auggie looked alarmed as Annie sniffed back the tears that she could no longer fully stop. He reached up to her face and brushed at them as he found them. "Annie. What happened? Did something happen to Jai too?"

She wiped at her eyes, looking down at his worried expression. Of all of the... "I don't know what's happening with Jai," she whispered dejectedly.

"I don't understand." Auggie said, shaking his head. "Where is he?"

"We don't know. He was in the alley, Auggie. He was...when I got to you he ran. We don't know where he is now." she whispered.

Auggie instinctively squeezed her fingers, but his brain lit up like a Christmas tree trying to put those pieces together. He halfway knew what knew she was alluding to, and he just could grasp it. "Hey, it's going to be okay." he said. He smiled. "We'll figure it out." It was more than his brain could process, and he felt sleep pulling him away again.

She noticed the exhaustion lining his voice. "Yeah," she murmured and kissed his knuckles. "Get some sleep, Aug. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"I'll switch out when I need to," she promised. "Joan and some others are outside."

He nodded sleepily and felt himself drifting off, his mind still whirling around half-accusations and impossibilities.

* * *

Jai breathed a silent prayer of gratitude as he unlocked the door to the bolthole he'd set up several years ago, before he'd even been assigned to England. Completely off grid, it had everything he would need to survive for at least two weeks which he could only hope was enough time to everything straightened out. He locked the door behind him and did a quick walkthrough of the small place, which turned up clean. He turned on the TV to see if there were any reports on the incident. He took off his hoodie and felt his stomach roll at the blood stains turned brown on his shirt

He'd spent the last hours avoiding every cop and federal official he could until he'd made it there. Now the sun was in the process of rising, its rays looking uncomfortably happy on the new day and the 7 o'clock news murmured quietly from the television. As Jai tugged the soiled clothing from his body he frowned to hear Liza Hearn's voice. His ears did perk, however, as she began yet another story about the CIA, this time speaking - thankfully in vague terms - that she'd received word from Arthur Campbell, director of Clandestine Services, that they were mourning the loss of one of their agents that morning. Jai felt his heart seize up and he had to sit down.

His eyes burned and he ran a hand through his hair. Looking at Liza Hearn's face, the sad downturn of her mouth and the lowering of her eyes as she reported what they both knew to be Auggie's death, he felt a surge of anger sweep through him and he turned off the television to stop himself from hurling the remote at the screen. He needed to shower and regroup and figure out a way to take down his father. And he needed to do it quickly. Auggie was well loved and the dogs would be after him soon if they weren't already, and they would want blood.

* * *

Annie had turned the television on for background noise and to, hopefully, keep herself awake at Auggie's bedside. His excellent hearing had been dulled down by the drugs running through his system. The morning news played out on the screen and she paled to see Liza Hearn's announcement that Arthur Campbell had said they had lost an agent. No details were given, but Annie immediately thought of Jai and what would have happened if they'd come across him and he'd tried to run again.

She was standing to go and track someone down when the door opened and Joan stepped quietly in. The elder woman took one glance at the television and the question in Annie's eyes. "Arthur thought it best and safest to make it seem as if Auggie had died," she said quietly. She glanced at the sleeping form of her tech operative and motioned for Annie to follow her out the door. "We've received an update."

"Have you found him?" Annie asked.

Joan shook her head. "No. Not yet. We found the gun, Annie, and Jai's prints were on it. There's evidence that he had been on the fire escape. The gun is one issued to our department."

Annie felt the world momentarily spin wildly beneath her and she leaned against the wall. "But...Joan, I can't believe he'd really do this. This is Jai we're talking about, the man who wants to rise above the dark legacy of his father and I know they didn't get along but you know what it takes to stare down the barrel of a gun and pull the trigger."

Joan sighed. "I know, Annie, but we have hard evidence. And running certainly didn't help his position. He may have wanted to rise above his father, but maybe he wasn't willing to let his father fall, either. We'll find him and we'll talk to him. We'll get an explanation." Joan said firmly.

Annie nodded numbly and felt Joan put a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Conrad's going to take you home. Get some rest, a shower, and you can come back in a few hours."

"He needs me here."

"He needs to rest," Joan assured her. "Don't worry. Arthur and I will both still be in the building, and I will call you if anything changes."

"But I told him I'd stay with him," Annie continued to argue. Her boss shot her a look that said she was far too tired to have this argument with her. "Just a few hours," she said at last, and Joan nodded.

* * *

Jai was man enough to admit he had nowhere near the skill level Auggie had when it came to hacking or anything computer related, but neither was he at a complete loss on how to get information that he really needed. He'd manage to pull his father's phone records and now had a number to work with that his father had called just after Jai had left the house the night before.

But now he was down the street from Annie's house, and she had yet to come home. He knew it was an egregious risk, but she was his only option to figure out what the department was doing. He hoped that they would pursue other angles, not just the lead on him, but if he knew his father well enough all roads would lead right to Jai. He glanced in the rearview as a car pulled around the corner

Conrad Sheehan. His car pulled up to the street by Annie's sister's house and he watched an exhausted Annie climb out and wave goodbye to the blond man. They both looked like they were in need of a hot shower and a full night's worth of rest, even if the day had just begun. Conrad drove off, obviously too tired to care or even think about someone watching them. Jai felt a horrible sense of guilt as he watched the dejected looking Annie walk into her guest house.

Guilt over the fact that he should have known what his father was planning. Guilt that he hadn't gotten there in time. Guilt that he should have done something, anything, to stop it.

He debated on whether or not to try and approach her and ultimately decided that was a bad plan. If Annie had just lost Auggie, she wasn't going to be at her most level headed, even keeled place and Jai was more likely to wind up with a sharp object through his windpipe than he was to gain her trust and help. So he waited. Three hours later, Conrad's car appeared again and Annie re-emerged looking a little more refreshed if not rested. She got in the car and Jai waited until the car turned the corner to follow.

Jai frowned. Something was off if Conrad was playing chauffer, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Jai wasn't about to risk entering the complex, but his suspicious grew when he saw Conrad turn the opposite direction in the lot than was normal, away from where their offices were and headed towards the medical complex. A small spark of hope, the tiniest possibility, lit inside him.

His mind sped across the possibilities. Arthur was cunning, if nothing else, and it would have been safer to have Auggie thought dead than to allow his would-be murderer continue to think he was alive. Jai took a deep breath, steadying himself with that hope, but not fully believing it just yet. The days ticked by and he waited, watched, and hid away when need-be.

He noted the habits of the few hours that Annie spent at her own home each day. Half way through the week he noted that she began to drive her own car back and forth, and towards the end of a the week following the shooting she could be seen staying longer hours at her place and, for short time spurts, possibly even heading towards the DPD's side of the building. If Auggie was really alive he seemed to be in the clear.

Jai was running out of time. It was getting more and more difficult to elude the agents Joan and Arthur were sending for him, and the only thing that had saved him thus far outside of his considerable skills was the fact that they had their regular jobs to do at the same time. If Auggie had really been killed, they would have instantly pulled out all the stops to bring him in...or bring him down. He would have to make his move tonight, or he would miss his opportunity.

It was almost frightening how easily he slipped into the complex on foot. He made a mental note, when this was all said and done, to alert Arthur as to the lax security on the east end of the complex. The guard that stood at the furthest end was lazy and Jai wondered briefly if he might even be intoxicated.

Someone that he only vaguely recognized - pretty young thing that smiled a lot with stars in her eyes as she looked at him - opened the door and told him that it'd been strange that she hadn't seen him around recently. She asked if he'd been working hard and he grinned his charming grin and affirmed that. He was in. Not only was he in, but he was in the hospital wing. He silently thanked God that Arthur had had the forethought to leak Auggie's death. It would have been the only thing that would have saved him from Henry pulling this same stunt, but certainly with much less honorable intentions

He locked the door behind him, took a deep breath and turned around only to find Auggie staring at him, or at least in his general direction. "I was wondering when you would show up. Took you long enough." Auggie said quietly.

* * *

A/N: So Gabi introduced me to a great band this past weekend: Thriving Ivory. You should go check them out. Especially the song "Where We Belong". It's really good. If you listen to it, yes we got the title for this story from it, no that does not make it a JaiXAuggie piece. That... Even we don't go there lol! I'll try to get the next chapter of The Farm up later today, but this one has been such a rush that I wanted to get another chapter of this up first. =D

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I have the worst case of senioritis (sp?). I really do hate it, because I still have this feeling that I need to plow through it. Ugh. Anyway, since I was planning to give you another update today (b/c I'm just that cool) and I'll be spending my work hours writing the essay that I meant to have done Wednesday of last week, I'm posting this now.

* * *

**Chapter Three.

* * *

**

Jai was momentarily stunned into silence. He noted that Auggie was only hooked up to an IV and appeared to be recovering well. "You're supposed to be dead." he managed.

"News of my death has been greatly exaggerated." Auggie said.

"Auggie..."

"Did you shoot me?" Auggie asked, interrupting him. "You only get to answer this once. I have to tell you that all the evidence is pointing at you, so make this good."

Jai took a deep breath. Truth. It was a foreign concept to most agents within the CIA. It had to be, but it was the one thing that was going to save him now. And Auggie. His father wouldn't be fooled forever. "After leaving Langley I went to see my dad. I was angry, disturbed... You were right." Jai hung his head, feeling the knot in his stomach that had been there for the past week. "Liza Hearn was leaving the premise. I confronted my father, he wasn't happy."

"Because Henry Wilcox was just going to turn around and say 'I love you son. I'll fess up to everything,'" Auggie replied sarcastically.

Jai glared, not caring that the other could see it. "That's... I wasn't thinking it through."

"You still haven't convinced me."

A sigh escaped the elder man's lips. "I went to Allen's because I knew everyone would be there. I wanted..." Jai sighed, swallowing his fear and pride both, "I wanted to apologize. To you. For the things I said. You're a good agent, Auggie, one of the best. You were just doing your job and I failed at mine by letting my emotions getting in the way. And you paid the price for it. I'm sorry. I am truly sorry, Auggie."

Auggie sighed and laid his head back on the pillow, looking very much like he was mulling it over. "Alright," he said after a moment. "I suppose if you had been the one to shoot there would have never have been all this effort. It's not like I can really tell that there's a sniper dot on my forehead or anything." He grinned at the other agent and Jai shook his head and chuckled at the joke. Auggie's expression turned serious. "But why run?"

"My father set me up. Joan and Arthur will have to look at the evidence, not just how much they know about me. The evidence that's visible _will_ say I shot you."

"There's always evidence buried," Auggie murmured thoughtfully.

"That's where I need your help," Jai admitted.

Auggie grinned. "I'm sorry, did Jai Wilcox just say that he needed my help? I'm not sure I heard that correctly. I might have IV fluid in my ear."

Jai rolled his eyes. "Yes, I need your help. I need your help."

"Ah, the sweet sound of victory." Auggie said. "There is one condition, though."

Jai frowned. "What is that?"

"You have to get me out of here. Do you see any computer system in here? Not a one. I can't even get Braille on the remote. It's peck and hunt. Ridiculous."

Jai rubbed his face with his hands. "Oh, I am so getting fired for this."

Auggie heard the stress and became serious again. "Hey. I don't remember everything, but I do remember you being there. You didn't leave me hanging, and I'm not going to leave you out in the cold, okay?" He motioned for Jai to come closer and turned up his palm. Jai hesitated at first, then stepped forward and carefully placed his hand in Auggie's. Auggie squeezed his fingers. "We'll get him, Jai."

Jai felt the first real smile in a week perk his lips. "So apparently I'm the get-away man and I have a place to go, so you better have a plan."

"You wouldn't happen to be able to get a hold of a sari, would you? How tall is your mom?"

"Wait... what?"

"Keep your voice down," Auggie hissed. "Do you want us to get busted before we ever get out of here? It was just an idea. They're looking for you, you know."

The blood drained from Jai's face. "You want me to... No. No. And no, Auggie."

A bright grin lit the tech op's face. "What?" he asked innocently. "I'd pay good money to see that."

"You wouldn't get to see it anyway!"

"Red would be a good color. Or maybe a deep blue."

"Quit picturing it!"

Auggie continued to grin at him. "Okay fine, spoil sport. Here's the plan. You get me a change of clothes, and then we sneak out the way you snuck in, which I'm going to assume was on foot. Just tell me you didn't leap any tall hedges with pointy leaves and we'll be fine. The guards won't change for another two hours, and this one now is a complete waste of space."

Jai opened the small closet door and pulled out an overnight bag. "Luckily for you, someone already brought you clothes."

"Check them. Check the bag too, just to make sure no one's stealing my tracking ideas."

"They're going to track the injured man's clothes?"

"You can never be too careful." A few minutes later Auggie had gingerly changed into a pair of jeans and tugged a t-shirt over his head. By the Braille knotting in the tag he knew it was one of his old, worn Atari t-shirts and he thought he should chide Annie about non-work attire later. He froze after tugging the t-shirt down.

"You okay?" Jai asked.

"We have to tell Annie. She's going to kill us."

"We can't tell Annie. This could go all sorts of wrong and we can't let her anywhere near this," Jai said sternly.

"But she... C'mon, she's been through enough lately."

"If Henry thinks he can use her against either of us, he will. And believe me, it's only a matter of time before he finds out you aren't really dead. Trust me, I don't want to put her through anymore either, but what can we do? A note from me will make them think I kidnapped you."

"I can write the note. Make it short. It won't give her anything to go on, and it isn't like they're going to fail to notice I'm gone."

Jai sighed. "Fine, but leave me out of the note, if you please. I'll help you explain it later if you want, but everybody already wants me dead.

Auggie nodded and felt Jai press a pen and pad of paper into his hands. He felt the notepad for a second, getting an idea of the dimensions. It was harder than he realized to leave a cryptic note that wouldn't sound too much like _the truth is complicated_. He sighed and uncapped the pen. _I'll explain everything when I get back. I swear. Don't worry. Auggie. _"Good?" he asked and set it down on the bed.

"Good enough," Jai answered. He fished around in the bag for a second. "Your cane's not in here."

"That's fine. We have to swing by my place to get my equipment anyway. I have enough to use there."

Jai nodded and then verbally acknowledged. He was tired and his senses were dulled out. They needed to wrap this up before he did something that got them both in more trouble than they were already. In the end, after everything was explained and set right, Joan and Arthur would understand that they did what they had to do. Neither would like it. They would probably both be set down for long lectures and grilled over every detail, but the satisfaction of the case being closed, the leak being dealt with, and everyone coming out on the other side alive would be enough to put them back on the path of good graces. He hoped. More than that he hoped they'd _would_ be alive to see it end. "You ready?" he asked Auggie.

"Yep," the other answered and they started back the way Jai came.

Jai figured that the universe must have been smiling on them, because really there was no excuse for a fugitive and a blind man to escape the Langley grounds completely undetected.

Jai helped Auggie into his car and headed for Auggie's apartment. "Do you think they'll have someone watching your place?" Jai asked.

Auggie frowned. "I don't think so. They wanted everyone to think I was dead, even most of our own people so as not to raise suspicions. A guard in the Langley hospital is one thing, an agent scoping out my place is another."

"How would we know if they put an agent on your apartment?" Jai asked.

"I think you'd be good enough to spot an agent lowly enough to get stuck with the task of watching a dead guy's place." Auggie said.

Jai grinned. "This is true."

Though no agent was watching his apartment on the outside the inside of the loft had been gone through. It wasn't that things were too far out of place, but it would have been nice to know that the chair had been moved just far enough out into the center of the room that Auggie was going to slam into it, right knee screaming in protest. He cursed it lowly and shoved it back into place. "I bet you Barber's been through my crap," Auggie growled.

"Barber works with you in tech. Why the hell would he be searching your house."

"Barber works _for_ me in tech," the correction came easily. "Just saying that he has a habit of moving things in my way."

Jai chuckled at this. "What do you need, to speed things along."

"In the closet down the hall there are a couple of duffels. Grab those while I arrange my equipment." Auggie said.

Jai did as asked and brought the bags. He filled them as Auggie instructed, and waited as Auggie packed a separate bag with some clothes. "I doubt the stuff in the fridge is any good." Auggie mused.

"I have groceries dropped at the place we'll be going. We don't need to worry about that."

"Good." Auggie unfolded his cane and shouldered one of the bags. "Let's go." he said grimly. They had a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time

They moved quickly and silently. Jai had been right about the food and Auggie didn't even ask how he'd managed it as he smelled them upon entry. "I hate hospital food," he grumbled. "What? Annie didn't sneak food into you?" Jai laughed, watching as Auggie moved about the space, tapping the surrounding area and getting his barring. "No, Easom scared her out of it. I think he convinced her I'd drop dead or something."

"Wow. Someone can deter Annie from doing sneaky things for you. That's impressive." Jai said. "Uh, the floor's clear, there's a couch about five feet in front of you. There's an end table around the right side, but not on the left." He offered.

Auggie paused for a second and listed to Jai move around to where Auggie guessed the kitchen was. "Thanks." he murmured. "So, what have you got?" he asked, setting his bag on the coffee table and pulling out his laptop.

"Just a phone number. My...Henry called it about five minutes after I left. I'm pretty sure he called in a favor to get it in motion that quickly. He wouldn't have time to hire outright."

"You have a number? That means we're well on our way then," Auggie beamed. He opened up his laptop, hooking the Braille readout to it. "Read it off?" Jai did so and Auggie put it in, searching.

Jai watched the blind tech op's fingers fly over the keyboard and he felt a sudden rush of respect for the younger man. "Got it," he announced only seconds later and Jai saw a picture of a man scroll across the screen. "A Roger Dalton. American citizen, six foot even, blond hair, green eyes, and some _very _questionable history. Looks like he's worked on some dark ops with the CIA, but nothing ever official."

"Is he a hired mercenary?"

"No, I wouldn't say that," Auggie answered, fingers running across the readouts. "I just don't understand how I'm not dead."

"Let's just focus on keeping you not dead." Jai said. "He probably didn't have adequate time to take all the variables into consideration."

Auggie nodded. "You might have thrown him off by being in the alley. Maybe he jumped a hair when you shouted to me." Silence hung between them for a long minute.

Jai patted his shoulder. "Can we track his movements now? Surely he wouldn't have a regular cell on him?"

Auggie shrugged. "He might. Criminals are notoriously stupid, you know."

After a moment of typing Auggie pulled up what looked like a GPS tracker. "We're good."

"Seriously? That fast?"

"I'm just that good," the younger man responded with a wide grin. He ran his fingers over the readout. "He's on the move. Guess lunch has to wait, huh?"

"You sure that you should skip it?" Jai asked, his eyes scanning Auggie's appearance. While he seemed to be thrilled to be in the chase his face hadn't regained all of its usual color and Jai had noticed that he was moving slower than usual. The man had been shot and nearly died a week before. They didn't need to push their luck.

Auggie began to decline and tell Jai that it could wait, but he inhaled and caught the smell of something all too tempting. Anything would smell tempting after a week in the hospital. "Well...maybe if we eat quick." he grumbled.

Jai nodded. "I'll bring you a plate. See if you can find anything concrete linking Dalton and Henry."

Auggie began typing as he listened to the clink of plate ware from the kitchen. He paused only when Jai came back and handed him the plate and a fork. "Thanks. I am sorry about your dad." Auggie said.

Jai shrugged. He realized Auggie couldn't see it and said, "I should have expected it. There's nothing to change it. The only thing we can do now is stop him."

"Still," Auggie murmured as he took a whiff of what they'd be eating and his mouth started watering.

They ate quickly and were out the door again. Auggie's color looked a little better and he carried a small device with him that read off the GPS tracking. It took them to a warehouse district that seemed abandoned in the early afternoon. Dalton should be there, according to his cell signal.

"We're going to have to search on foot," Jai said as he cut the engine.

"Please tell me you at least brought a gun," Auggie murmured.

After half a beat of pause Jai answered. "Yes."

They left the car and headed towards where the tracker told them Dalton would be. "I miss my laser," Auggie whispered.

"Not now." Jai whispered back.

"We should be getting close." Auggie said a few seconds later, sounding grouchy.

Close took them around the corner of a building into what appeared to be an employee parking lot which was as empty as the rest of it. Jai began feeling uneasy. "This doesn't seem right." he said quietly.

"It just occurred to me that this could be a set up. Dalton could have kept the phone to lead us into a trap, if you accept that your dad thinks I'm alive."

Jai turned to him. "You're mentioning this now?"

"I said it _just _occurred to me, okay?"

Jai grabbed Auggie's arm as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. "What is it?" Auggie asked.

"Conrad."

"Jai!"

That was definitely Conrad's voice. Auggie was about to open his mouth to give... some sort of explanation. Instead he felt Jai take a firmer hand on his arm and pull him around and something cold pressed against his temple. "Not a step closer, Sheehan," Jai growled, sounding convincing.

"_This_ is your plan?" Auggie grumbled so that only the man behind him could hear. "**_Really_**?"

"Shut up!" Jai hissed.

"Oh no, I'm so afraid of the big bad agent." Auggie murmured.

Jai resisted the temptation to smack him with the barrel.

"Jai, put the weapon down!" Conrad shouted. He sounded unsure, as if he wasn't quite buying the scene in front of him. If Auggie was really Jai's hostage, why wait until now to kill him? The tip off that they would be here was strange enough, and even seeing it wasn't assuaging his doubts. "Back off, Conrad." Jai shouted back, tugging Auggie closer.

"Jai, if you let him go now and let me bring you both in, we can talk about this. You know both Joan and Arthur just want to see everyone alive and okay." Conrad said.

Auggie snorted.

Jai scanned the area for signs of other agents. He caught no signs, so back up wasn't here but it was close. "Conrad you don't understand. Just get out of here." Jai growled.

"Do you have a silencer on that gun?" Auggie asked. "He can see you, you know."

"I'm going to shoot you if you don't shut up."

"This was a really crappy plan. Just noting."

"Why am I the only one here to see this?" Conrad mumbled. He lifted his gun again and began to advance. "You need to put the weapon down, Wilcox! " Conrad barked.

Jai glanced behind them. They were too far away from the building to get around it before Conrad could get a shot off, and Jai had no doubt that Conrad would shoot if he felt it was necessary. A glint from the top of the building across the lot caught his eye and Jai tensed, fingers digging into the fabric of Auggie's shirt.

Auggie tensed as well, sensing the shift. It wasn't just annoyance at Conrad's presence, but fear at the presence of an unknown entity. "Jai?" he asked.

Jai glanced at Conrad, then dropped his gaze to the front of Auggie's shirt. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of a tiny red dot slipping down his forearm to take a place near Auggie's heart. His breath caught and for a second he was back in the alley, the worst moment about to play out all over again.

Conrad frowned as Jai dropped his gun without warning, grabbed Auggie's shoulder and jerked them both around one hundred and eighty degrees. Three soft pings sounded from above him, bullets flying fast and deadly. One embedded itself in the wall behind them. The other two hit Jai in the back and the two agents collapsed to the ground.

* * *

A/N: Excuse the silliness of a scene or two. ^^; This is what happens when we're in the same vicinity. Chaos is a must.

Remember: reviews give an author a fix. When there are two authors, we have to share =P


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, relatively. Life's back to being crazy and we no longer have a whole weekend to play with this. We are working hard on it though! =D

* * *

**Chapter Four.

* * *

**

For a split second Conrad was torn between running to them and pursuing the shooter, but training kicked in and he cursed, turning to chase the shooter. Auggie and Jai lay on the aging asphalt, completely still.

Auggie felt his world explode and he wondered briefly if he'd been hit again. After a moment he was sure that he'd just pulled stitches and shifted to get out of range of any other shots that might come at them. "Jai?" he called, feeling around and found the elder agent lying next to him, face down on the ground. "Jai?" Panic started to bubble within him. The sniper had been back and Jai'd seen him. He'd saved his life and was now laying there in some uncaring parking lot with Auggie his apparent only help, as the latter couldn't hear any more movement from Conrad. "Damn it, Jai!"

A groan reached his ears and he felt Jai shift and curse. "I'm fine," Jai said at last.

"Where're you hit?" Auggie demanded, hands moving across the back of Jai's shirt in a flurry of motion.

"I'm fine," Jai repeated. "Auggie. Chill out."

"Listen, I-" The tech op stopped, his mind coming to an understanding. There was something strange under his hand and it felt like... "A vest. Damn it, Jai! I thought he'd killed you, you ass. What are you doing just lying there? I can't see you! You-"

"Hey, Auggie, you're bleeding."

"I don't care," the other huffed, irritation very evident. "You can't just not _say _anything," Auggie growled. "I know you think very highly of the way I function but the painful fact remains that I _can't see_ and therefore when I hear gunshots and then discover a motionless body I'm just going to assume the worst!"

"Auggie..."

"What else aren't you telling me? Did he shoot Conrad?"

"Auggie, Auggie," Jai caught Auggie's wrists to bring him to focus. "Conrad is gone. I'm sorry. I had about half a second to make a decision and I didn't have time to send you a memo. Let me check your stitches and get out of the vest. We need to get out of here before Conrad comes back."

"The damn stitches are fine," the younger man huffed and pulled away.

"You're bleeding. They're not fine," Jai responded evenly.

"What are you going to do? Stitch me up here and now?"

"You know, I did just save your life. While I'm not really expecting a thank you, some corporation would be nice."

Auggie stood and tottered, finding himself back on his knees and his hand grasping at the bullet wound that had pulled back open. Jai automatically pushed himself forward to keep Auggie from completely hitting the ground, hissing through his teeth at the pain that blossomed across his back.

"Damn it, Auggie, we don't have time for you to be stubborn about this." he growled. He kept one hand on Auggie's shoulder and tugged up the side of his t-shirt. About half the stitches had come undone and blood was seeping from the irritated wound. Jai cursed under his breath. "Don't move." He instructed.

He unzipped his hoodie and yanked at the velcro keeping the vest on. Once free, he ditched the vest, figuring he would leave it as a clue for Conrad. He pulled off his t-shirt and pressed it gently against Auggie's side. "Hold that." He pulled his sweatshirt back on. "Come on. We need to get back to the car. We need help.

Auggie felt the world swim as Jai's hands guided him upward. He leaned on the other man, feeling somewhat woozy. He really missed his painkillers.

They stumbled their way to the car and after making sure that his passenger was safe and secure in the seat, Jai rounded and hopped in the vehicle. He didn't like the idea, but it was the best one he had.

Auggie was silent most of the way there, which worried him slightly. He glanced over at the tech op every few minutes to see that his eyes were lulling closed and he'd gone white again. "Hey," he called.

"I'm here," Auggie answered quietly. "Sorry."

"About what?"

"I'm really not sure how I would have explained all this to Joan and Arthur you were dead."

"Ditto," Jai chuckled lowly.

"So where are we going?"

Jai sighed heavily. "The only person who will give us half a chance to explain at this point."

"I thought you didn't want to involve Annie."

"No choice left," Jai answered seriously as they pulled up in front of her sister's house.

Jai parked and turned to check Auggie's side. It seemed the bleeding had stopped for the moment, so Jai removed the t-shirt and tossed it in the back seat. "Put your jacket on so the blood on your t-shirt doesn't show if we run into her sister before we get to Annie." he murmured.

Auggie nodded and carefully eased into it the best he could.

Jai sighed. "We are in so much trouble."

The sun was not quite coming up yet as the two CIA agents stepped from Jai's vehicle. Auggie seemed somewhat steady on his feet, which was good. Jai rounded and gave him a shoulder to hold on to, steadying himself. Auggie opted against his cane, thinking it might make them more conspicuous than they were already, but warned Jai that if he were to run into anything he'd take it out of the elder man personally.

They were a third of the way up the stretch to the guest house when they heard a female voice call "Hey!" loudly.

"Please tell me that isn't Annie's sister." Auggie mumbled.

"Ah, yes." Jai replied.

Auggie felt Jai shift enough to wave as Danielle jogged over. "Hey, you guys!" Danielle greeted. She was dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt, and she reached down to pause the shuffle attached to her arm. "If it isn't Annie's handsome date and her very cool boss. I can't thank you enough for the great job you did with the tour. The kids are still talking about it."

Auggie turned a grin in her direction. "Anytime."

Danielle glanced between them. "What are you guys doing out here so early? I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We play cards together."

Auggie had to keep himself from slamming his palm into his face. He mentally reminded himself that a Jai without sleep was not a Jai that thought before he spoke.

"Cards?" Danielle echoed skeptically.

"Yeah, he wins an awful lot," Auggie murmured quickly. "I'm convinced he cheats. Just can't prove it."

The tall blonde stared, looking at them like they'd each grown a second head. "Okay... Well, Annie's in her little apartment up there. You know where it is, right Jai?"

"Of course," he answered.

"Well, I think she's still here. A friend of hers was in a bad car accident about a week ago and she was talking about leaving out early this morning to go see him. Glad to see it wasn't you, Auggie. I couldn't get her to give me any details."

"Yeah. Glad it wasn't me, too." Auggie murmured. "How's she been holding up?"

Jai resisted the urge to elbow him in the side.

"Okay. I think it's a coworker she's pretty close too. She was pretty broken up until they knew he'd be okay."

"Thanks, Danielle." Jai said, pulling Auggie towards the guest house. She waved to them and went into the main house.

Jai asked, "You're really going to ask how she was acting about you?" at the same time Auggie asked, "Why do you know where Annie's guesthouse is?"

They reached the door and it swung open before Jai could knock. Annie stared wide eyed at the rogue agent and the man he had supposedly kidnapped.

"So, I'm going to guess Annie just opened the door?" Auggie asked, cocking his head. "Mornin' Annie!"

Annie reached forward and roughly cuffed Auggie on the back of the head before wrapping her arms around his neck.

He hugged her to himself. "I'm really sorry." He said softly.

She pulled back and smacked him in the back of the head for a second time. "You left me a _note_?" she demanded.

"I know you hate notes, but c'mon, really, what was I supposed to do? At least you knew that I was okay."

"No!" She pulled both of them into her one-room guest house and slammed the door behind them. "I didn't know, you jerk! I thought something had happened you!"

"Not like she knows your handwriting," Jai commented.

"Hey, I've been helping you out. Do _not_ take her side on this," Auggie warned darkly.

Annie gasped slightly and Auggie felt an uncomfortable burn as a hand touch the t-shirt material over his wound. "You're bleeding," she whispered. She turned on Jai, unleashing a rush of anger and slamming him against the wall without really even meaning to. "What the hell were you two thinking?"

Auggie wobbled with both his supports suddenly gone. "Uh, Annie? As much as I hate to say this, we may need him and that sounded like a really big thump."

"I was thinking that Auggie was the only person who could help me prove that I didn't shoot him." Jai gasped, pain flaring through his back from the bruising she had crushed against the wall.

"He didn't shoot me, Annie, and it was my idea for him to get me out of the hospital. And now we need your help."

"What? To stitch you back up?" she sniffed.

Auggie stopped, eyes widening. "Annie, are you crying?"

"No."

He reached forward and found her after a moment. His hand landed on her arm and he gradually made his way to her face where he felt sticky, salty wetness coating what was usually smooth and - he thought - beautiful skin. "Please don't cry, Annie," he murmured.

Annie cradled one of his hands against her face. "I'm sorry." She said "Loosing you twice in one week isn't okay."

Her words twisted inside him and he took a deep breath. He covered with a small smile. "Just once a week, then?"

"Umm... Auggie.. I wouldn't-" Jai tried to warn.

Annie slammed her balled fist against the tech op's shoulder, cursing and trying to shake the pain from it. Auggie toppled off balance and sat down hard, finally deciding to simply stay where he was. "It'll be three times if we're not careful," he murmured, leaning his head back against the door.

"You two... Do you realize that I just got a call from Joan demanding that I come in early? She said you'd disappeared. Read the note to me over the phone and everything. Conrad's on his way to-"

"Wait," Jai cut her off. "Conrad's coming _here_?"

Annie shrugged. "Yeah. He actually lives just a little ways away."

Jai took a step away when Annie moved in his direction. "No. You don't get to hit me. You were actually willing to think I would murder him." he said firmly.

"Did Joan say anything about Conrad bringing a man in for questioning?" Auggie asked.

"Or in a body bag?" Jai added.

"No. She didn't. Why?" Annie asked, eyeing Jai's shoulder like she had Auggie's.

"Because the sniper that shot me outside of Allen's shot Jai this morning," Auggie said before he thought the words through.

At the horrified look that crossed her face Jai added, "I was wearing a vest. I'm fine, but that would be why Auggie's bleeding all over your floor."

"I..." Annie turned between them, momentarily speechless. "I hope you mavericks are happy. Show me." She said, turning back to Jai.

"Annie, we don't..."

"Show me!" she snapped. Jai lifted his shirt and Annie whistled lowly. "He really did get you." She said.

"Hi. The blind guy is still helpless on the floor, here." Auggie said.

"You are anything but helpless," Annie grumbled. "Jai, help me get him to the bathroom." Auggie felt Jai's hands close around his arm and ease him upward and in a general direction. The wooziness had returned, though certainly not as bad as it had been in the parking lot. He could tell that he moved from carpet to tile floor and felt himself being positioned to sit down on the toilet's closed seat.

Jai moved out of the small bathroom so Annie would have room to move. "We should have a few minutes before Conrad gets here," Annie murmured as she rummaged through a fairly extensive first aid kit she kept. She pulled several things from it, including alcohol to clean the wound and what looked to Jai like needle and thread. "So why is it that you two haven't gone to Joan yet?" she asked, but paused with wide eyes at the wound. "Auggie, this is infected."

"Do your best." Auggie said. "If Dalton got away Jai's dad knows I'm alive and that Jai and I are working together, they'll be coming for us and they'll kill us if we don't get them first."

"You might need this." Conrad's voice made them all jump. He handed a folder to Jai and gave him a long look. "You two are ridiculous. I've never seen such a stunt in my entire career. You're lucky he wasn't taking a headshot. And the next time you decide to do something stupid, just remember who it is who has to write the report."

"Conrad, we can explain." Jai offered.

Conrad held his hands up. "I'd rather you didn't. Joan's got you figured out, you know, and wants both of you in. However, I've been offered breakfast and seem to forgot what else I came to this house for. If I come back to find you gone and the information I had regarding a possible meet up between Dalton and Henry Wilcox, there isn't much I can do about it." he said with a crooked smile. He turned to go. "If you need back up, you'll have it." he said, and the next thing they heard was the door to the guest house shutting behind him

"I take back everything bad I've ever said about that arrogant bastard," Auggie said happily.

Annie ignored the comment as she splashed the alcohol against the angry wound without warning. He let out a hiss of pain and scooted away. "Warning!"

"I'm still pissed at you," she growled and put a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Now sit still or I won't be able to stitch you up properly."

"I don't remember them teaching us how to stitch wounds at the Farm," Jai murmured from his spot at the door, glancing through the file he'd been handed. His blood boiled with each line.

"They didn't," Annie answered quietly. "When we were in Sri Lanka, Ben ripped his leg open on a broken bottle on the beach. He talked me through it."

Both Jai and Auggie stilled, and Jai wondered what kind of look they would have exchanged if Auggie could have done so. Even so, he could see the dark eyes narrow, the muscles in his neck and jaw tense, and the edge of his lips turn downward at the mention of Ben's name.

Anyone could tell that Auggie was steadily falling for their newest agent, and as if their relationship didn't have enough obstacles (of which Jai liked to at least pretend he was one) there would always be the shadow of Ben Mercer looming overhead. It was almost enough to make Jai feel bad for him.

Auggie grit his teeth through the re-stitching and felt her hands linger when she was done. After half a second Annie bent over and placed a swift kiss on his cheek. "I'm still mad, but I'm glad you're okay," she murmured.

"We'll come out of this, Annie," he promised earnestly, all joking laid well to the side.

"I know."

He heard her sniff and he stood, finding himself nearly nose to nose with her. She must have been ready for work if she were wearing heels in her own home. Carefully Auggie reached forward and brought Annie into the second hug of that morning, feeling her arms wrap around his neck and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm not ready to lose anyone else," she managed. She shifted, throwing a glance back in Jai's direction. "Not anyone else, do you two hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Auggie promised her.

"Good," she murmured, sniffling and trying to bring her voice under control. "Now get out of here. Conrad can only give you so much time." She pressed the med-kit into Jai's hands. "Take care of yourselves."

He nodded. "We will. Thank you."

She gave Jai a quick hug and he carefully patted her back. "Auggie's right. We'll be fine. Thanks for your help, Annie."

"I'll be with Conrad at the office. As soon as we get Dalton and Henry pegged for this, we'll be with you." She said. "Stay alive until then." Jai and Auggie made it back to the car without running into Conrad or Danielle. Once in the vehicle, Jai passed the folder containing the information on Dalton and Wilcox to him. "Two copies. One just for you." he said.

Auggie frowned and opened the folder. He rummaged through the pages and then smiled. "Braille. Conrad, you dog."

"Joan wouldn't be able to help us out in the open, even if Arthur believes I'm innocent as well," Jai though aloud. "She let Conrad and Annie mostly free on it. That was the best she could do,"

Auggie acknowledged as his fingers skimmed over the raised wording. "So what now? This is a lot to go over and it'd be nice to have internet."

"What, you can't hack into a satellite or something?" Jai chuckled as he started the car's engine.

Auggie grinned. "I could. I just said it'd be nice."

"We're heading back to the safe house."

"So what was the point in bringing Annie into this if you knew the safe house was still safe?" Auggie demanded. "

"I don't know it's still safe. We'll have to check. Besides," Jai added after a moment, "I wasn't going to put stitches in you." There were a multitude of other reasons Jai wouldn't -or couldn't- verbalize because they went against most of his training, and against his pride. He needed Annie to believe he was innocent, and she would only trust Auggie. It was a miracle Auggie was willing to put his trust in him. He needed Annie not to hate him; not to think he was a killer or a traitor.

He knew Annie well enough to know she needed to see Auggie to know he was really okay. He stole a glance at the man in the seat next to him and thought it was a shame that he would never get to see the way she looked at him. He wondered, sometimes, if he even knew.

Jai would never admit to being jealous of those small glances, or the way that he caught Annie consistently staring in the direction of Auggie's office. He wasn't jealous. Of course not.

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A/N: Reviews are a drug and we are addicts. Please, feed that authors XD


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry that this isn't updated nearly as fast as I'd hoped. We're writing, just a bit slower. This is up to date on what we have so there's a good chance that it'll be a couple days before another update can be posted. Sorry!

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**Chapter Five.

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**

They pulled around to the backside of the safe house and watched for what felt like an eternity to Auggie - who merely had to sit and wait for Jai to give them the OK - until Jai gave a small grunt of satisfaction and unlocked the doors. Auggie grabbed at his bag and stood slowly, not risking a bad sense of vertigo with all the blood he'd lost that day. Easom really was going to yell at him this time.

Auggie collapsed onto the couch and Jai made a straight shot to the kitchen to knock back some extra strength ibuprofens. He really wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep for the next two weeks or so, but they didn't have that kind of time.

Auggie had read out the details to him while they'd waited. Dalton had a criminal background of varied talents, most of them violent in nature. After his last release from prison he'd vanished off the grid with very occasional sightings by agents who happened to stumble across him. All reports had him staying in the finest hotels, wearing tailored clothing, and driving very nice vehicles, all of which changed often. Dirty money always burned quickly. He'd been out, in the last stretch, for a year, but he'd hardly been idle from the looks of things.

"You want painkillers?" Jai asked over his shoulder, glancing at the still man on the couch.

Auggie's eyes were shut and he shifted ever so slightly at the question. "Yeah, if you have them," he agreed.

Jai crossed the distance between them and pressed the bottle into the tech op's hand. "We'll have to keep an eye on that wound of yours. You can't just plow through an infection."

"Not like we have a much better choice," the other grumbled as he dry swallowed the pills. After a moment he reached for his bag that he'd dropped next to him and pulled the computer, fingers feeling for the 'on' button and it lit his face as the tune announced it was powering up. "So, I'd say tracking Dalton's phone is a bad idea," he murmured. "Next option."

"If the intel here is correct, and I know my father at all, this meet isn't a set-up. Even if they know we're both alive, they won't know that the agency is backing us at all and that we're about to be run into the ground. I can make some discreet inquiries to his more popular restaurants and see if he's got any new or last minute reservations." Jai mused.

"Do you think he'd use the restaurant in the photo I found?" Auggie asked.

Jai raised his eyebrow. "The one he took Liza to? Maybe. It's a possibility."

"Do you think he'll meet with Liza?" Auggie asked. "After all, the agency faking a death and covering up an attempted murder is big news."

"And Liza looked pretty broken up over it."

"She did?"

"You don't have to sound so interested in it," Jai snapped.

Auggie rolled his eyes. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She may not have loved me, but she liked me." He grimaced as he typed away at his laptop. "Here we go. Reservation for dinner tonight under her name. He's not risking his."

"What time?"

"Not till eight," Auggie answered, fingers skimming over the Braille readout. "They really need to have better security if they're going to keep high-end patrons on an online roster."

Jai looked at his watch. It was a little after ten, which gave them most of the day. They'd have to leave around four to have time to get to the area and scope it out properly. That meant they had time to get some sleep, which they would desperately need. Dalton was a professional, and he'd take two misses personally. They wouldn't have a chance to survive a third time. And he wasn't so sure Henry wouldn't take matters into his own hands if he felt he needed to.

"I'll bring you a pillow and some blankets, unless you want to take the bed. Your choice." Jai said.

"I don't have to move if I take the couch," Auggie said with a grin. He heard Jai leave the main room and slumped back. He'd said it in his usual joking manner, but he'd been unnaturally honest. The blood loss was getting to him again and he felt everything shift around him even though he knew it was perfectly still. He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and leaned forward, hoping to wait out the uncomfortable feeling the threatened to send him tumbling to the floor.

Minutes ticked by, Auggie's head slumping closer and closer to his knees as he prayed for the nausea to go away. The couch dipped gently next to him and he felt cool fingers wrap around one of his wrists and easily pry his hand away from his eye. A glass of cold water was pressed into his fingers. "Drink some. You need to stay hydrated." Jai said quietly. Auggie did so and felt his laptop leave his knees; heard the soft clink as it was placed on the coffee table. He felt the fan of the air conditioner kick in a second later. "Thanks." he murmured.

"No problem," Jai answered, watching as the other man downed the glass of water and leaned back against the cushions. His skin had felt warmer than usual, but he was sure that the safe house probably did not come with a thermometer to check his temperature. Not that he would really know what course to take if infection began to cause more trouble than it was already. Annie had cleaned it well, and Jai hoped that would be enough, but Auggie was looking sicker as his fingers went lax around the glass that was still in his hands. "You okay?" he ventured.

"Yep. Just fine," came the tired voice in response.

Jai covered him with a blanket and patted his shoulder. "If you start to feel bad, or...weird, or whatever, let me know, okay?"

Auggie gave a half nod. Jai sat in the armchair across from the couch and watched him for a long while until his breathing evened out indicating deep sleep. Eventually, Jai dozed off in the chair, too concerned to leave the other agent alone.

He startled awake to the sound of coughing some hours later and his dark eyes automatically darted over to the pale man stretched across the couch. Sweat matted Auggie's curls to his face and he was tossing slightly. Jai was on his feet instantly and crossed the small space, kneeling next to the injured man. Heat met his hand as he risked a careful hand against the tech op's face. "Auggie?" he ventured quietly.

"Don't," Auggie mumbled, continuing to toss and shiver. His fingers twitched against the fabric of the couch and he frowned. "Don't go near," he mumbled again.

"Auggie? Auggie, it's just a dream. Wake up." Jai said quietly. He pushed damp hair away from Auggie's forehead and frowned. He was burning up. "Auggie?" he said a little more loudly.

Auggie's breathing became erratic and he thrashed until Jai had to restrain him. "Auggie!" Two dark eyes flew open at last and Jai felt him pull against his firm hands against his shoulders. Finally Auggie fell back against the couch, not quite relaxed, but no longer reacting violently. There were several long, tense moments when the only sound between them was Auggie's hitched breathing that ended in a coughing fit that curled him on his side.

Jai was afraid to touch him, afraid to say anything. He felt like the safe thing to do would be taking Auggie back to a hospital, but he was fairly certain the tech agent would refuse. Slowly, so as not to startle him, he laid a hand on Auggie's shoulder.

Auggie took several more deep breaths. "Okay. I feel weird." he said at last.

Jai couldn't help but give a half laugh at that. "No kidding," he murmured. He looked back at the clock. They still had a couple hours before they needed to get going. He could, possibly, take the injured man to Langley before shooting up to New York. He voiced the option, not really expecting an affirmative.

"I'd be a sitting duck," Auggie answered after a moment. He really sounded like he was weighing his options. "We've underestimated your dad until now. We can't do it again." He shifted and started to pull himself into a sitting position, but stopped as a new wave of nausea hit him in full force. "Could you grab me another glass of water?" he managed.

"Sure thing." Auggie absently tracked the sound of Jai's footfalls into the kitchen, the sound of running water, and Jai's return to him. He held out his hand automatically and Jai pressed the glass against his fingers. "I brought you a couple more ibuprofen, too. It's a little early, but you could probably do with them." Jai said, sitting next to him. Auggie took them gratefully and downed the second glass. Jai took the glass from him and started to stand.

"You know, you've been in the DPD for six months," Auggie said suddenly, causing Jai to pause and give him a questioning look.

"Yes?"

"And I've known you for what... Three years or so?"

"Something like that. Right after you joined, I think."

"Yeah." Auggie took several deep, painful-looking breaths. "All that, and I have no idea if you've ever been injured in the field."

Jai felt completely lost as to the tech op's train of thought. He opened his mouth to try to form a response, but Auggie cut him off again. "Sorry. I was going to ask if you had nightmares, but then I realized that you might not even have a reason to. I really have no idea what you've seen or even what you've done for the Agency over the years. Just that I'm supposed to work with you now. I'm not even sure what caused me to believe you, honestly." His voice sounded distant, as if he were drunk. Jai realized as he looked at the younger man that there was a good chance that he might not even remember this conversation if asked about it later.

Jai watched Auggie carefully. "I have my share of nightmares." he said quietly. "I've taken my hits for the agency. Been shot, been hit, been left behind. I've seen what it does to people when trust is broken. Out there, in that world, it means messy breakups, hurt feelings, maybe a slashed tire or two. In our world, broken trusts means people die. Sometimes it's a lot of people. It means things get put at risk, sometimes even the safety of our entire organization. You think it's best to work alone and then I see...then I see sometimes it isn't." He thought of Ben, going rogue, betraying and disappointing a slew of people in his wake. He'd trusted Ben, just like everyone else. It hadn't been worth it.

Auggie nodded slowly, seemingly soaking it all in. "I keep wondering if the nightmares will ever go away," he murmured thoughtfully. "I keep thinking they're gone, but then they reappear." He snorted, irritation sounding in his voice. "I mean, really, the only time I get to see anything anymore is when I sleep, and I can't even do that peacefully." He shuddered and groped for the blanket that had fallen to the floor in his earlier fit. He found it quickly and wrapped it around his shoulders, hunkering down in it.

It was an unfair world, Jai thought. He remembered thinking when he met Auggie for the very first time that he was going to go a long way and that he would make a fine competitor or a fine ally. The world was August Anderson's oyster and the Agency his pearl. Jai grinned briefly to himself. It didn't seem that very much had changed, after all. "Do you dream in color or black and white?" Jai asked.

"Bright color," Auggie answered as he leaned back against the pillow Jai had brought him earlier. "I don't think colors were ever as bright as I see them in my dreams."

"Were they always that way? Before you lost your sight?"

"I... don't remember. I didn't pay much attention back then." Auggie coughed and groaned, feeling perfectly horrible. "What about you?" he asked, voice raspy. This was not boding well for their trip northward.

"Color." Jai said. "I dream in color."

"You know," Auggie said, "I'd still be able to dislike you a lot more if you looked like your dad."

Neither man said anything, and then both burst out laughing.

The door exploded behind them, causing both to curse and get to the floor. With a grimace, Jai realized he'd left his gun in the kitchen when he'd gone for pills.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." A voice deadpanned from what remained of the doorway

"That does not sound good," Auggie managed, looking like he'd landed very wrong.

Not that Jai was sure he could have landed right in the state he was in. "Stay down," he hissed.

"Yeah, because the couch is bullet-proof. That is something even the CIA can't do."

Dalton laughed. "You two have caused me quite the difficult situation." The sound of a shotgun being pumped echoed off the wood floors and caused both Auggie and Jai to cringe. "And that has to change, I'm afraid. And you're right, son. CIA doesn't make much that's bulletproof, least of all a couch."

"Oh, dear God, let this be quick." Auggie grumbled. "I'd rather be shot than talked to death."

Jai caught sight of his gun on the counter and reached back to squeeze Auggie's shoulder. "Hang on." he said

"Hurry, he's monologueing." Auggie heard the gunshots go off towards Jai. Without really thinking the action through he spun on the hard floor, planted his feet against the couch, and shoved with all his might towards the source of the gunfire sound. He heard the relatively small couch skid its way toward its victim and felt the stitches pop out of place yet again as the skin stretched beyond what they allowed with the action. The pain caught him, but some time was bought with the happy sound of the couch catching the gunman in the legs, hopefully sending him toppling. He'd gauged it right. A smile crossed his lips temporarily. Criminals were notoriously stupid.

Jai's fingers closed around the end of his gun and he hissed in pain, the blood running down his arm from where Dalton had met his mark. He turned to see Dalton pulling himself to his feet and Auggie standing unprotected in the middle of the living room. Jai swung the gun around and Dalton raised his. _"Auggie!"_ Jai shouted.

Auggie was frozen in place, knowing he was a sitting duck and unable to know which way to go to get out of the way, if that was even an option. In a moment of frightening clarity, he could see both outcomes of the moment. Dalton's gun going off and killing him instantly, or Dalton's gun going off and killing Jai. His mind pulled together the scattered images he had of Jai from a lifetime past and warped them together just as the shot rang out

A sense of dread took over him when he realized he was still standing. Unsteadily, but standing. His own ragged breathing seemed to be the only sound in the room and he could feel his entire body shaking. "Jai," he coughed out, dreading the worst. That mental image he'd concocted had the elder man laid sprawled out on the floor, a hole in his head or his heart and blood pooling all around him.

Auggie stumbled and groped for something to give him bearing. A part of his mind reminded him that he'd never reach Jai. He was about to join him. His shins collided firmly with something and he toppled over, landing hard on the ground.

Jai watched Dalton crumple, the expression on his dead face not as surprised as Jai had seen on some. What had he said about nightmares? This would be another image to add.

He shoved the gun into the back of his jeans, unwilling to leave it again. Auggie whispered his name again, sounding closer to afraid than Jai had ever heard and it pulled him from his focus. He sucked in a deep breath and switched gears from clearing to recouping. "Hey, hey, it's okay. He's down." Jai rasped. He let go of the counter and took a second to balance himself. He cautiously took a step and made it to Auggie without falling himself. He knelt by the agent. "Hey. It's over."

Auggie seemed startled by the sound of his voice and reached out, clinging tightly to the elder agent's shirt. Jai let out a hiss of pain as fingers scraped against raw flesh. "Jai?" the tech op gasped out, sounding as if it were everything he could do to say the short name. His breath hitched and he doubled over as he coughed and choked against the pain.

Everything was so fuzzy he couldn't put it together. He could have sworn he'd heard Jai's voice and there was someone kneeling next to him. He felt a hand on his back and heard Jai speak again. _Pull yourself together, Anderson,_ he told himself. In his own mind he was screaming. All those years of training and this. He closed his eyes, focusing on breathing and tried to gain control over it.

Jai felt the slow burn of rage begin to build as he supported Auggie, one arm around his back, the other holding one of Auggie's elbows. The younger man's frame trembled as he tried to re-orient himself and Jai tried to assure him that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, that Dalton was in fact dead and they in fact were not, largely in part to Auggie's quick thinking with the couch. Thank God for wood floors.

It was in that moment, Auggie's forehead pressed against his uninjured shoulder, that Jai hated his father. Hated that his father could be a man willing to do anything to push himself forward and not only that, but take down everyone in his path. Hated him for bringing good men low. "It's okay," he said again. "It's almost over."

Auggie still shook slightly, heat radiating from a body that he'd pushed far beyond its limits, but he'd finally settled some. Jai continued to hold him upright, more out of his own need to know that the other man was not on the brink of death than a growing need. After several long moments a sound began to come from Auggie's bag off to the side. Jai glanced back at it, noting that the source was buried out of sight and he frowned at it.

"It's my phone," the tech op murmured tiredly. "Thought I'd left that at Langley." He thought a moment. "I know I did."

"You left your bag in the car at Annie's," Jai answered. "Conrad."

Auggie nodded, accepting that answer. "We should probably get it."

"You okay?" Jai asked, hoping Auggie knew he meant for the next ten seconds and not in general. Auggie nodded slowly and Jai carefully let him go and stood, heading for the phone. "Hello?" Jai asked. There was a pause, Auggie heard Jai moving back towards him and the phone brushed against his ear. "It's for you." Jai said. Auggie could hear the smile in his voice

He took hold of the phone. "Hello?" he greeted tiredly. As soon as the word had left his mouth he jerked the phone away, a voice screaming through the receiver sounding very much like an irate Annie Walker who was saying something about gunshots being called in to the same location that the phone was at, therefore the same phone they were at. It took him a moment to hush her down to a level that he could speak with her. "I can't lose my hearing too," he chuckled into phone. "Then where would I be?" He stretched back onto the wood floor, not really caring that he was probably bleeding all over it. Laying down felt much better.

"_I'm sorry, Auggie. Are you okay? Is Jai okay? What happened to Dalton?_"

Auggie was having a hard time staying awake listening to her soft voice. "I'm okay, Annie." he tried to sound convincing. "Jai's okay, too. He got the bad guy."

"You helped." Jai murmured.

_"Conrad and I are on route there. Do you need to go back to the hospital? You don't sound so great. Auggie?"_

"I'm fine," he said, only half sounding like he meant it. "Don't come here. It'll compromise everything that we set up." Jai could hear her voice start to rise again as she protested. Auggie handed the phone to him. "You tell her."

Jai made a noise of protest even as he took the phone from Auggie's hand. He sighed and brought the phone to his ear. "Annie? Annie, listen he's right."

_"He's not okay, is he?" _Annie asked, voice tight.

Jai looked at Auggie, laying on the floor, blood stains on his shirt and on his fingers from where he'd grabbed Jai's bleeding arm. August Anderson, the world was still his oyster. "He's not perfectly okay, no. But Annie, if you and Conrad show up here it will look like the whole thing was the Agency setting up Henry, not the other way around. It will destroy us. We need more time." Jai sighed and checked his watch. They had an hour before they had to leave. "What we need is a backup team in place near Crescent, the restaurant. And yes, Auggie's safety is my fist concern."

_ "Joan said-" _

_ "_Then have her call me." Jai hadn't meant to snap. Really he hadn't. He was tired, bleeding, and had to find a way to get them both in shape for a trip up to New York and be inconspicuous enough to walk into a nice restaurant. He sighed. There was so much to do.

_"Just please, both of you come home at the end of this. Please..."_ Annie's voice sounded so desperate as she spoke on the other end of the line that Jai's grip tightened on the phone.

"I swear it, Annie."

After he hung up, as always when Annie was removed the world seemed quieter and less bright. He sighed again as he surveyed the damage. They had to get out of there before the local PD showed up.

"Come on. We're going to see a friend of mine." Jai said. "I'm going to get you to the car, okay?" he reached down to help Auggie up. They could make it for a few more hours, and then life could go back to normal. Well, their kind of normal.

"I hate to say this, but I think I'm bleeding again," Auggie murmured as Jai helped him up. He reached to his torn and tattered shirt, grimacing at the thought of how far gone one of his favorites really was, and nodded. Definitely bleeding.

"Me too," Jai answered him and started towards the door, stopping only momentarily to grab Auggie's bag with his computer. They had left a duffle bag of clothes in the car incase they had to move quickly.

"Wait. You're bleeding?" Auggie asked, realization clicking in. "You got hit?"

Jai didn't answer, but waited as Auggie processed the last ten minutes of their life, amused at how he could see the wheels turning. Eventually, Auggie turned his fingers upwards and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. "You...how bad?"

"Just a flesh wound. I'll survive. We can both get cleaned up where we're going."

"Why didn't you say something?" Auggie demanded.

"What were you going to do? Stitch me up?" Jai snapped. A flicker of hurt crossed the young man's face and he immediately regretted his words. It was strange, but they'd spent a good deal of their professional acquaintance at odds for reasons neither could ever fully pinpoint. It changed each time they met, but Jai was almost sure that it boiled down to the fact that Auggie feared that Jai would turn out to be like his father and refused to get too close. Auggie'd been young and idealistic once, and then he'd left a young woman sitting by herself to be picked up by the FBI as he was shipped off to Iraq. Neither of them were fresh into the Agency and they certainly weren't idealistic. Knowing that, it was odd to see that flash of hurt

"Shit, Auggie," he breathed. "I'm sorry. Let's just go before we get arrested, okay?"

Auggie had pressed his lips together until they were nothing more than a thin white line and for a second Jai thought he was going to explode, every cruel, hateful, true thing he thought about him pouring forth. Instead he merely nodded. Jai glanced around, found the object he was looking for, and pressed the cane into Auggie's hand. Even if Auggie didn't know it in that moment, Jai did. He could never be like his father because as soon as this was over he would transfer out of the DPD. He didn't think he could stomach being the cause of that flicker of hurt in people's eyes or in their faces.

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A/N: Wow. Some serious Auggie and Jai beating in this chapter. Poor guys. Anyway, please review! Cookies, smarties, the bunnies eat all =P Mostly they eat up reviews... or our feet. That's not comfortable though.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six.

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**

Auggie was silent the once in the car and Jai couldn't be entirely sure if the other man was still angry or if he were simply exhausted. He had ever right to be, Jai reminded himself, after everything he'd been put through in little over a week. He risked a glance and frowned. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm fine," Auggie said snippily.

Jai imagined what would happen if he cuffed Auggie and it ended with Auggie attacking him, him losing control of the steering wheel and driving off a bridge somewhere. Next he imagined the officer at the scene trying to explain to Annie why there were strangulation marks on the necks of both bodies. _Well, miss, it appears that the driver and the passenger were attempting to strangle each other as the vehicle plummeted down the hill. _

Jai sighed. "We're almost there." he said.

"Fine." Auggie replied.

Jai tightened his grip on the steering wheel. As they pulled up to a shabby looking apartment complex, Jai killed the engine. "Listen," he said abruptly, "let's get it out in the open."

"Get what out in the open?" Auggie growled.

"I know that I insulted you back at the safe house. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I'm tired. You're tired. Let's just try to get out of this alive, huh?"

Auggie tensed as if he were about to unleash, but his shoulders suddenly slacked and his lips pulled back in a sort-of frown. He didn't know how to express the anger he felt. It wasn't at Jai, specifically, but he knew the other was getting the brunt of it with the rationalization that he'd been insulting. It was the fact that he'd been a sitting duck in the middle of the room, unable to fight, unable to even know where his enemy was. It'd been a lucky shot that he'd tripped Dalton up and he knew that. It frustrated him more than words could express that he'd been so damn good and now he was nothing more than a benched agent for all the reasons that couldn't be refuted. At least when he sat behind his desk he could feel an inkling of his old worth, but out here, in the heat of battle, he only felt like a hindrance. He couldn't protect himself adequately, much less protect a partner in the field like Jai, much less protect someone he was constantly losing pieces of his heart to like Annie. His chest constricted at the idea of something happening to her because of his shortcomings. He startled at Jai's hand on his shoulder.

"Hey. You saved my life, you know. If you hadn't done what you did, Dalton would have taken me with a second shot. I'd have never found those reservations or been able to trace that phone like you did. At least not as fast. That's why I'm sorry for what I said. You're damn good, Auggie, and I would never imply otherwise."

The blind agent perked a little at this. "Thanks," he said at length. He reached up and patted the hand that rested on his shoulder, grinning. "Right, with that past us, let's get patched up and catch that bastard father of yours."

Jai helped Auggie out of the car and up the stairs to the apartment where Jai's contact was hopefully waiting. He knocked lightly three times, followed by two heavy knocks.

"Some secret code you got there. I may not be able to figure it out." Auggie said.

Jai rolled his eyes. The door swung open to reveal a young woman with long dark hair, and wide brown eyes that narrowed at the sight of them. She placed a hand on one hip. "Jai Wilcox. I might have known. What kind of truck did the two of you get hit by?"

"Callie, can we come inside, please?" Jai said, glancing around the hall.

She sighed and opened the door wider. "A little warning would have been nice. I could have had an IV prepped for your Siamese twin, there." She shut the door and locked it behind them.

"How do you know he needs an IV?" Jai asked.

Callie glanced Auggie up and down. "Have you seen him?" she asked. She disappeared into a room down the hall. "Sit down. I'll bring the stuff. For heaven's sake."

Auggie felt Jai lead him and lightly push him into what felt like a kitchen chair. Most of his focus was on his own breathing, but in the back of his mind he heard the woman grumbling and cursing Jai's inability to give any forewarning - or call after, either, whatever _that_ meant - and Jai scooted a chair out for himself. Auggie chuckled, slumping in the chair. "What'd you do to piss her off, Jai?" he managed, his words sounding a bit slurred to his own ears.

"Callie and I dated for a while. Now we don't." Jai said wryly.

Callie came back with a portable IV hanger and parked it next to Auggie. "Put your arm on the counter, honey." she said. He did as instructed, a little concerned to question her. She had a pleasant voice, when it wasn't directed at Jai. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Auggie. Auggie Anderson."

"That's cute." Callie said. Auggie was hooked up to the IV before he even realized what was happening. "That shirt has got to go. You've bled straight through it." she said.

"We're on a time crunch, Cal." Jai said.

"You can shut up and let me help or you can get the hell out is what I think of your time crunch." she growled. She patted Auggie's arm. "Except for you. You can stay."

Auggie choked back a laugh, but didn't manage to conceal the large smile, partial grin that spread across his face. He was sure Jai was glaring at him, but surely the other man deserved it. Callie seemed awful nice. He must have really been an ass for her to speak that way.

He tensed suddenly as cold hands tugged his t-shirt up and he heard he sound of cloth being cut. "Hey! Do you have to cut it?" he demanded.

"You should have said something when I brought the scissors out, hon. Not that it can be saved anyway."

"Callie." Jai said, tugging her sleeve. He leaned back as she whirled to face him, scissors still in hand.

"Can I help you? I see you bleeding too, and you can wait." Jai shook his head and nodded towards Auggie. "What?" she asked, turning back to Auggie. "I see him bleeding. Jeeze, kid, you've been through all kinds of hell, haven't you?"

Jai shook his head and stood. "While you're patching Mr. Anderson back together, I'm going to take a shower. He'll probably want one too, when you're finished poking and prodding."

"Yeah, yeah." Callie said, waving him off. She glared at him as he chuckled, walking down the hallway with a duffle bag swung over his good shoulder. Auggie'd have to share some of his clothes.

Callie turned back to her patient with a huff. "Man never understood that he needs to speak outright to me. I don't get all of his half-sentences and head nods of suggestion."

Auggie chuckled, an understanding of what had just happened clicking in his head. "That's Jai," he acknowledged with a grin.

He felt her peel the ruined shirt from his shoulders and give a low whistle. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"Jai shot me." Auggie replied easily.

"He did _what?_" she squeaked.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I got shot about a week ago. Then someone tried to shoot Jai and in the process of avoiding said bullets I ripped my stitches...and then pretty much the same thing happened about twelve hours later." He hissed as antiseptic met his wound and Callie made an apologetic sound.

"Sorry, honey. Jai always did know some shady people. I'm not really surprised he's running around getting himself and his friend shot." she frowned as she realized he hadn't tensed at all for the wet gauze she was using to clean the wound. She looked up, into his face. "Well I'll be damned." She murmured.

"What?" Auggie managed through gritted teeth.

"You're blind," Callie said, a bit awe struck as the words left her mouth.

A smile stopped just before perking his lips and he managed to keep a straight face as he responded. "Really? I knew there was something off."

Callie couldn't stop her own grin and kept her voice even. "Your infection must be very serious. Did you also realize you're missing several of your fingers?"

Auggie narrowed his eyes and a grin spread across his face. "Har har," he responded, waving all ten fingers at her.

She laughed. "I like you. How'd you get stuck with a jerk like him?"

Auggie titled his head. "I'm beginning to see some good points. But mostly I'm stuck with him because at the moment we're both working to save our lives. And our jobs. And the girl."

Callie rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? There is always a girl. Bet she's pretty."

"I bet so, too." Auggie said wistfully.

Callie cleared her throat awkwardly, noting her slip up. "What sort of a time crunch are you two on?"

"What time is it?" "Twenty past three."

"Well, we need to leave out in forty minutes kind of a time crunch."

Callie frowned, looking at the bag of antibiotics that she had pumping into Auggie's IV. She still had to sew him up, allow as much of the bag to filter through his system as she could, and take a look at Jai. "That's not going to work."

Auggie shrugged. "Do your best."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Auggie shook his head. "Can't tell you that."

She nodded. "What kind of clothes will you need? Casual? Costume? Dress?"

Auggie frowned. "Business casual?"

She gave another short nod. "I'll have something in your size, in case what you've brought doesn't work. Here, I'm going to help you onto the counter, okay? I need you to lie down so I can get you stitched. And then you have to swear not to do whatever it is you've been doing in the last twenty four hours."

"As long as I don't have to swear on a Bible I should be good," Auggie answered with a grin. He felt her arm loop through his, leading him carefully, somewhat awkwardly, to the counter. A thought crossed his mind, strange amidst all the pain, the jokes, and the medical attention: Her arm felt very different from Annie's. He'd grown very accustom to the blonde agent's thin but well toned arm slipped through his on a regular basis, but this much smaller, much stranger person felt strange.

"Right here." Auggie reached a hand out and felt the counter. He eased up on it as best as he could. "You know, Jai never told me what he did," Callie said absently as her patient stretched out. "But I always liked to joke with him that he was some sort of spook."

"Please, with that jaw line? He'd stick out all over the place." Auggie said.

"True." Callie agreed. Her brain caught up with what he just said and she frowned. "How do you know..."

"How's it coming in here?" Jai asked from the hall. He was dressed in black pants and a white button down that he hadn't tucked in yet and hadn't buttoned all the way to the top. Damp hair curled against his forehead and Callie momentarily forgot what she was doing and why she'd been upset with him.

He flashed her a charming grin. "Cal, you do have a patient."

Fury made her cheeks burn bright red and she chucked a roll of gauze at him. "You, Jai Wilcox, are an ass!"

He continued to grin as he approached. "Hope you don't mind, Auggie, but we're about the same size and my duffel bag got left behind."

"You left me a set of clothes, right?" Auggie asked and grimaced as Callie began working the stitches through. "No offense," he directed at her, "but I'm not fond of wearing other people's clothes. They smell funny. You know, like whatever Jai's wearing now will smell funny when I get it back. If I get it back."

"Because I'm really crazy about smelling like you," Jai said.

"He smells good. I don't know what your problem is. And no offense taken." Callie said. "Give me about five minutes and then he can shower and change. You'll need to keep the IV in him until you get where you're going to do whatever the hell it is you're going to do." Callie jabbed Jai in the chest as he walked by. She caught sight of the bandage under the sleeve of his shirt. "You didn't have to do that on your own. I was going to help you." She said pointedly.

Jai shrugged and rummaged around in her fridge. "You need to focus on Auggie. I've dealt with worse on my own."

Her eyes softened as she watched him. She had her own theories as to what he did, each more preposterous than the next. She was sure it wasn't anything too horrible, as he really could be quite a dear when he wanted to be. He had a good heart, and his mother would kill him if he were into anything illegal. "How's your mom doing?" she asked, continuing her stitching.

Jai smiled, warm and genuine. "Good. She's good."

"She still dating that guy she met at the hospital?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really ask her about her love life."

Callie rolled her eyes. "Men. Of course, if I was his mother I'd be too busy having a love life to talk about one. Have you met his dad? Creepers."

Auggie bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

"I am standing right here, Cal." Jai said.

She eyed him. "I know." She finished her stitching and cleaned the area again before covering it and sealing it with waterproof tape. "You want to help him into the bathroom or risk me taking advantage of his handsome self?" she asked, already moving away to discard the used materials.

Jai frowned and moved forward to help Auggie off the counter. Auggie grinned, but Jai thought he might have seen a tint of blush edging his cheeks at the comment. "Oh, come on. We don't have all day," Jai grumbled, giving the younger man a hand down from the counter. He got him situated and Auggie pulled from the bag what he needed. Jai was halfway to the kitchen again when he heard the water turn back on.

Callie was cleaning the last bit up and turned to look at him. A genuinely worried look crossed her pretty face. "What the hell could be so important that you feel like you have to go, get shot up, and get someone nice like that man in there in the same situation?" she demanded.

"He's not as nice as he looks." Jai grumbled. He skimmed his finger along the rim of the glass he'd left on the counter. "I can't tell you, anything, Cal, because I would never want a nice girl like you to wind up in a position like us. And I appreciate you always being patient and willing to have a bandage and a pain killer ready."

She frowned. "I'm not your personal nurse concierge, Jai." He made no reply and she sighed. "Whatever. Next time a little warning would be nice. I do have a life, you know."

"A life that includes taking advantage of blind men?"

"Have you seen him?" she asked with a grin.

Jai snorted. "So can you tell me what happened to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"The way he reacts to things... he hasn't been blind his whole life."

Jai watched her carefully, thinking back to if he'd ever heard Auggie explain it to anyone outside of the CIA. He was very well adapted for having lost his sight only two years before.

"I saw a military tat on his back, too," she murmured, giving away her real secret. "Plus, he's seen your jaw line." she mused, shooting him a pointed look.

"Note to self," Jai said, "Date less clever women."

She gave him a look that said flattery was not going to distract her from what she wanted to know. He shook his head. "I don't really know, Cal. We did meet once, before he lost his sight, but I didn't know him after, not during his...transition. We just wound up in the same place again by chance. It did happen while he was a soldier." Jai said all this carefully, pulling the truth together with a fine thread of obscurity. It wasn't his story to tell, anyway

If she were going to argue the point any further she never had the chance as Auggie rounded the corner, moving slow with hands bracing himself lightly on either side of the hallway. He was pale, but he looked considerably better after his shower and dressed in clothes that were not torn and splattered with blood. His vest hung open and when he reached the room, feeling for object that could give him some direction now that the chatter had stopped, he stopped and his nimble fingers began putting the buttons together. "Should I guess you were talking about me since it got so quiet?"

"Unfortunately you're the only handsome blind man we both know so the topic didn't move far." Jai said. "You look better." he added.

"So do you," Auggie said seriously. "How much time do we have?"

"We don't." Jai answered.

He began tucking his shirt in and Callie pulled out bottles of water and sandwiches wrapped in foil and placed them on the counter. "Take those. You'll need to keep your energy up, I feel."

"Thanks, Cal. I owe you." Jai said.

"Pfft. I'll add it to your ever increasing tab." She rounded the counter and squeezed Auggie's arm. "You're on the house. Keep that IV in as long as possible, and I swear if I find out you do anything to pull those expertly placed stitches I'll find you and really give you something to need pain killers for."

Jai stuffed the water and food in the now nearly empty duffle. "You ready?" Jai asked Auggie. He was grateful that the younger agent had much more color back and looked at least a little rested.

A grin spread readily across his face. "Always, but I'm going to suggest you drive. I'd offer to take a leg of the trip, but, I think there are laws against that." He unfolded his cane and began tapping the ground in front of him and moving towards the door.

"I've heard that hasn't stopped you," Jai grumbled. "See you around, Cal," he promised and she rolled her eyes.

She stood at the door until they were down the hall to the stairs and then moved to the window. They climbed in the car they'd come in, black and inconspicuous, and she prayed that they'd make it out alive.

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A/N: Thought I'd post this before going out tonight. Gabrielle Day + Takada Saiko + alcohol + writing = an amazing night. Oh helz yes. Please remember to feed the review addiction!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: First off, let me apologize for the lag in updating. We didn't get to write as much as we had expected this past weekend (note: just because a place says 'free wifi' does not mean it is not too swank to pull out your laptop and write on your fanfic), and then I got sick yesterday, so not much was written/edited then. We'd also hit a lag, but I'm happy to report that the lag has lifted where we're at in the story (a bit ahead of what we've posted) and it's moving strongly forward! Woot! Thanks for your patience!

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**Chapter Seven.

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**

Jai rigged the IV onto the hook cars invariably had next to the panic handle and said a silent thank you for tinted windows. While an IV hanging in the window might not give them away per say, avoiding any unwanted attention at this point was a good plan. And all attention was unwanted. "You should sleep. We have a bit of a drive." Jai said as he started the engine. He looked up and caught sight of Callie in the window and felt a twinge of guilt. He squashed the feeling as he pulled out of the parking lot. Having a medical professional was a necessary asset, and she could always refuse to help at which point he would just find somebody else. It was the way things worked.

Auggie was sure that he dozed a good portion of the way there. Part of him wished to stay awake. If he couldn't drive for Jai, the least he could do is make decent conversation, but that fell by the way side as he continued to nod off, exhaustion taking hold. He wasn't sure how many times he'd drifted when he felt the car pull to a stop and Jai tapped his shoulder lightly. "You know," Auggie yawned, "I was wondering. How is it that you and I - two people that your dad's trying to kill - are going to just waltz in there and expect to go unnoticed?"

"The point is to be noticed. It's going to be difficult for Henry to sell Liza on the fact that I was either assigned the job to kill you or went rogue and killed you and Arthur's trying to cover it if you waltz in the door." Jai pulled out his phone and pulled up the pictures he'd taken of Dalton lying dead on the floor of his safe house. "Hard to sell the fact that I kidnapped you and then hired Dalton to kill you in my own place. There is one thing more you'll need to do." Jai said.

"Oh, you mean other than waltz up to a man who wants me dead?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah. You're going to need to find something linking Dalton and Henry. Phone transactions, bank statements, anything. Unfortunately being Henry isn't a crime."

Auggie cocked his head. "That came up ages ago." He couldn't see Jai's look of irritation and surprise as he reached for his laptop, slipping the portable satellite internet into the USB drive.

"You were planning to tell me this when?" Jai demanded.

"I thought I had," the tech op replied easily. "Back when we first found Dalton at the safe house... back when we first uncovered his name, I mean." He paused, his fingers skimming the readout. "Here. Got it."

"This is payback, isn't it?" Jai asked.

"For what?" Auggie asked innocently.

"For not telling you about the vest. I'm sorry about the vest, okay?"

"What did you do to my vest?"

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that, don't you?"

Auggie grinned. "Help me out of this IV so we can go get your father and still be home in time for dinner."

The restaurant was packed with chattering patrons when the two men entered. Jai spotted his father at the far corner, his back to the crowd and in a deep conversation with a certain raven-haired reporter. He leaned to Auggie's ear and quickly whispered the layout and a plan. A careful smile stretched across Auggie's lips. "It'll never work."

"Bet you twenty it will," Jai responded with a grin. "I'll call your phone when you're there."

"All right," the other agreed, unfolding his cane and starting forward, picking his way through the crowd. His phone buzzed in his pocket as he reached the table and his cane tapped against a chair. He heard the voice of Henry Wilcox begin to demand that he watch where he was going.

Mock confusion crossed Auggie's face as he swept his cane back and forth, hitting Henry twice more. "Forgive me, for being blind and dead it's become really difficult to watch where I'm actually going, Henry." Auggie tilted his head and smiled wickedly. "Liza. I'd die to see the expression on your face right now." He paused. "Oh. Was that a bad pun? Is this seat taken?" he asked. He swung his cane to indicate the chair to the right, smacking Henry again in the process.

"Anderson!" Henry growled.

"Auggie." Liza breathed. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"That's what they keep telling me. I'm beginning to feel a little paranoid. I'm sure Henry here was going to tell you all about it." He patted Henry's arm as he sat down. "Weren't you Henry?"

"My word," Liza breathed, hands going to her mouth and face gone pale. "They said you'd been shot and killed."

"Really?" Auggie asked. "By who? Jai? I'm sure that's what your friend Henry was about to tell you. By the way, Liza, I'm not sure if that was some veiled hint as to your source or just a mix up, but his toothbrush? Really? Are they the same color or something?" He moved to connect on last time with his cane to Henry, but the man had come somewhat out of his stupor and gabbed it.

"Very funny, Anderson," he growled lowly

Liza was embarrassed into silence. "I didn't think it was funny." Auggie said seriously. "I could have used that toothbrush and quite frankly, I think we've had enough of a cootie exchange already." He turned his empty gaze back towards Liza. "Seriously? Henry Wilcox?"

"There are more important issues, here, Auggie." Liza said. "Like if Jai didn't kill you, why is Arthur Campbell perpetuating the fact that you are dead? Why has he not brought Jai in for questioning?"

"If he didn't kill me what would he need to question him for?" Auggie replied.

"Liza, if you'll excuse us, Mr. Anderson and I really should have a talk," Henry said, his grip still firmly on Auggie's cane. He stood and wasted a menacing glare.

"Not so fast," Jai's voice sounded from behind Henry. "Have you told your date for the night that you hired a Roger Dalton to murder her ex?"

Henry whirled around, eyes wide, but then narrowing at his son. "You have no proof."

"We do have a motive and a link to Mr. Dalton. That should be enough to hold you," Auggie answered easily. "Can I have this back now?" He gave a sharp tug, pulling his cane from the older man's grasp.

"Plus, I have photos of Roger Dalton. Here." Jai slid his phone across the table to Liza, who gasped at the image of Dalton she saw.

"And maybe you should add that you also hired Roger Dalton to murder your own son." Auggie said. "Very unfriendly. I can see why they wouldn't want you in Arthur's job." He leaned over towards Liza. "I think he's a little unstable." he said in a stage whisper.

Henry sat down slowly, gaze shifting between his son and Auggie. "I'm sure you boys have had a rough week. Your hurt and exhausted, I'm sure. Enough to make snap judgments about certain situations."

"Don't even try that we me, Henry." Jai said. "You're finished. We have the proof. You got careless."

Henry smiled easily. "Come now, son. We'll walk out and talk about this like adults. Your friend can come along and I'm sure all of this will be cleared up." "I think it's pretty clear," Auggie said darkly.

"The authorities are on their way," Jai warned. "You're cornered. If you come quietly, maybe they'll make a deal with you."

Auggie snorted softly. "If you're really, really lucky. Oh, wait, you already were." He shot a pointed look in Liza's direction.

"Would you let it go, please?" Liza said through gritted teeth.

"I'll think about it. You do realize he was using you as much as you were using him." Liza raised a slim eyebrow. Jai cleared his throat. "What?" Auggie asked. He thought for a moment. "Ah. Open mouth, insert foot up to kneecap."

"Enough." Henry said.

"No." Liza said firmly. "If they're telling the truth, you set your own son up for murder and possibly treason, and you did it all in an attempt to destroy Arthur Campbell and the DPD. Was that your goal all along? Disgrace Arthur and then ride to the rescue of your former department?" she demanded.

Henry stood. "It would seem I've created far too many loose ends." He made a waving motion and Jai realized that while they had backup on the way, Henry's back up was already here.

"Don't do this, Dad." Jai said, standing as well. "Please."

Henry turned on him. "You're just as weak as I thought you would be.

Jai's dark eyes focused on a man standing, gun drawn. He rounded the table to where Auggie was slowly standing, sensing the change but unsure of exactly what was happening, and his gun in his hand. The shot went off as soon as he saw the glint of metal in the would-be assassin's fingers and the room erupted in screams and commotion. He turned back to his father, gun aimed. "Don't try it Henry."

"What are you doing to do, son, shoot me?" Henry reached for his weapon and Jai pulled the trigger. The gun clicked. He pulled again and it clicked again. "Looks like luck is on my side tonight. I've never liked to leave things unfinished anyway." He turned the gun on Auggie and fired.

Auggie stumbled, confused by the sudden weight against his chest and he reached up automatically. His cane slipped out his fingers and he fell, back hitting the wall. He was momentarily distracted by the screaming of the restaurant patrons and wondered if he'd been hit. He brought his hands up and felt Jai's arms. "Okay, I am not falling for this twice, Jai." he muttered.

The sound Auggie heard next made his insides twist with fear. The strangled intake of breath, the catch of air in Jai's throat, and the fingers that momentarily grasped at his own told Auggie that there had been no vest this time.

Auggie moved one had up to cradle Jai's forehead to keep his head still and his other hand splayed across Jai's chest. He almost recoiled at the feel of blood under his fingers. "No, no. Jai?"

He wasn't sure if the place had gone eerily quiet or if his ears were playing some odd trick on him. He could vaguely hear sirens screaming in the background and patrons whispering amongst themselves. It sounded as if some of them had grabbed Henry and were restraining him. None of them approached the blind man who was clutching at the man that had just saved his life. "Jai!"

Jai choked and shuddered his arms, trying to gasp out something, anything to say that he heard him. To give him some sign. He needed to give him a verbal sign, he reminded himself, but couldn't seem to put that into action. Auggie felt a hand, thin and small, lightly touch his shoulder as if it did so through fear. "Auggie?" Liza's voice murmured, quiet against raging chaos.

Auggie reacted violently, shoving her back. "Get away," he growled. He returned his hand to cover the wound, knowing it was doing precious little to stop the blood flow. He could practically feel the heat of the wound and he could smell the blood mixing with the faint scent of spice and Jai's cologne. "Jai, you shouldn't have...you didn't...hang on, okay?" he whispered.

"'Kay." It was the faintest trace of a whisper, but Jai's agreement reached his ears and Auggie tightened his grip.

Moments later, even if it felt like an eternity, Auggie heard his name. He looked up out of instinct. It sounded so much like Annie he was sure that it couldn't be. Seconds later the voice came again, closer this time, and he smelled grapefruit. He finally made out what she was saying. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Auggie managed. "Henry Wilcox shot and Jai... Jai moved. Jai got in the way." He knew his words were jumbled, but he couldn't seem to form his thoughts into an understandable scenario.

He felt her fingers against his face and struggled when she started to pull his hand away from Jai. "Auggie, Auggie, we need to get him on the ground, okay? Help me move him so we can put more pressure on the wound." Her voice was firm, but urgent.

"He took the hit for me, Annie. On purpose." Annie's heart was breaking for them both.

She tugged at Auggie again. "I know. I know. Come on. Help me." Her plea catalyzed him into action.

They shifted Jai from his place propped up against Auggie's chest to the restaurant's floor. Auggie felt Annie pull his hands and place them over the wound, her hands covering his. Jai gasped out as he applied the pressure needed. "Easy, Jai," Annie encouraged. "Help's on the way. The ambulance is just around the corner."

"Everyone okay?" he asked, voice strained.

"Everyone but you." Auggie said. "We've really got to stop ending our days like this."

Jai managed half a smile. "Most fun...I've...ever had in the field." he gasped.

Auggie felt the tell tale sting of tears, but refused to blink. "Yeah, right." he said.

"Mean it," Jai whispered. His eyes closed.

"Stay with us, Jai." Annie said firmly. "Jai!"

The crowd parted for the paramedics and hands pried Auggie away. "We'll take good care of him, sir," the promised, and before he could react badly to it he felt Annie wrap her arms around him.

She buried her face in his vest. "It's okay, Auggie," she whispered, sounding partially as if she were convincing herself more than she was trying to convince him. "It's going to be okay now."

He returned the embrace, pulling her closer to himself, and clung to her as if she were his lifeline. After a long moment, she pulled back. "If you're okay for it, Joan needs to see you. She's waiting outside."

"Right now?" Auggie asked. "Can't it wait? We should go to the hospital. What if he doesn't...I mean," he trailed off.

Annie took his hands in her own. "Just a few minutes. She hasn't seen you, don't forget, since you were laying in a hospital bed yourself. Just let her see you and then we'll go to the hospital."

"Come with me?" Auggie asked.

She squeezed his fingers. "Yeah. Okay." She wrapped her arm around his back instead of their usual loose hold that they kept on each other. He sagged slightly against her, the adrenaline wearing thin and exhaustion hanging heavily over him.

He perked ever so slightly at the sound of Joan's heels and necklace. "You look horrible," she stated, her voice icy. He felt a cold hand reach up and touch his face without warning. "And you're burning up. Annie, take him to the med center."

"I've got to go check on Jai anyway," he acknowledged.

"No, you need to stay out of their way and allow them to save Jai's life," she snapped. "You two have done enough damage the last couple of days. Mostly to yourselves. Now get to the hospital and Easom will do what he sees fit to you."

"She's never going to forgive me." Auggie mumbled.

Annie squeezed his arm. "Hey, don't say that. She's just worried. She just doesn't...show it. You know that. We were all worried." She led him towards her car. "With the stress of you getting shot and the leak and the suspicions about Henry and with..." Her voice caught. "With Jai...it's been a hard week for everyone." She tried to smile. "You even freaked Conrad out. But she'll forgive you."

Auggie tried his best to believe her. He could feel himself crashing with every passing second, the exhaustion, pain, and fear undoing him. "Maybe she will. Easom probably won't." he said

Annie's grimaced at the thought as she opened the passenger door and shuffled him in. "Joan has us going to a secure hospital here in New York City before we had back to DC."

"Does that mean I'll have time to recover before my eardrums are busted with the yelling?"

"I can't picture him yelling."

"You've never pissed him off."

"He's not going to yell."

"Yes he is." Auggie leaned his head back against the seat rest, exhaustion tugging at him and he heard Annie climb in the other side.

"He came down with us," she answered his earlier question. Annie got in and shut her car door quickly.

The loud sound startled Auggie, and he could hear the gunshot again in his mind, and feel the Jai's weight, the impact of the bullets on a body. He could smell the blood still on his hands. He wrapped his arms around himself, digging his fingers into the fabric of his vest. If only he'd been able see the gun, or have a gun and take aim, he would have put a bullet straight through Henry Wilcox, and he knew without a doubt if he ever had the chance he would kill him. Slowly. Auggie grit his teeth. If only He jumped when a thin hand touched his shoulder.

"Auggie?"

"Sorry," the other breathed out shakily.

"You don't look so good."

"Don't feel it," he admitted, closing his eyes. The car was moving forward now to whatever 'secure location' that Joan had waiting for them. "They arrested Wilcox?"

"Looks like it. They'll need your data to hold him."

"Can do." Auggie said.

Annie reached out and tugged one of his hands free and laced their fingers together. "He did it because he knows that you were worth the risk, Auggie. He'll be okay." She felt like she was partially reassuring herself, but the one thing she was certain of was that Jai had done whatever it took to protect a fellow agent who was also a good man...and she would have done the same thing without missing a beat.

Auggie pressed his lips together tightly and squeezed her hand. "I know," he whispered.

He didn't let go of her hand the rest of the way to the hospital, and only then because they had to get out of the car. He was sure he heard a voice that he recognized when the door opened, but it was all beginning to sound like he was listening through a tunnel. Focus. He had to focus. He blinked several times. "Doc?"

"Come on," Easom urged, helping to pull his perpetual patient from the vehicle. "Let's get you inside."

"You came all this way for me?" the tech op tried to joke, grimacing as he stood.

Easom snorted. "Who else was going to take care of you?" He sighed, half carrying the younger man's weight. "Your friend is in surgery. They're really quite good here. He should pull through."

"You're just saying that to make me more cooperative." Auggie said, attempting not to sound hopeful.

Easom made a snorting sound as he and Annie guided the young man into the building. "As if anything could make you cooperative. Not guns, nor knives, nor speeding trains could keep you down, August Anderson."

"As inflating as that is to my ego, I may be close to conceding." Auggie said wearily. "Is the room spinning? I can't actually see any spinning, but it sort of feels like that ride at the fair where you're pressed up against the wall and the floor falls out?"

Auggie thought he might have heard Dr. Easom call his name, but his knees buckled and he was pitching forward before he could warn the doctor. Hands grabbed at him and kept him from hitting the floor.

Annie turned near panicked eyes on Easom. She'd had one too many close calls in the week. "He's alright," the doctor murmured as they made it the few steps further into the room they'd secured. "He's anemic with as much blood as he's lost."

"Check his side?" Annie asked. "The last I saw it, it was definitely headed for an infection. He left the hospital too early."

"I can't imagine." Easom said, easing Auggie onto the hospital bed. "Son, you're the only man I know to burn the candle at both ends all the while lighting a fire in the middle."

"What's on fire?" Auggie mumbled and Easom shook his head, laying a cool hand on his fevered face.

"Nothing, Auggie." The hand left his face and Auggie started to protest. It'd felt cool, comforting, but he couldn't seem to get the words from his head down to and out of his mouth. Instead he heard Annie move to the other side of the bed and felt steady hands working to unbutton his vest and shirt. He let out a low hiss as the same hands that had cooled his face so well began prodding at the bullet wound.

It worried Annie more that Easom's lips pressed together in a thin line and remained silent than it would have if he had commented on the state of Auggie's wound. She hoped that he was only refraining from making a comment about Auggie's ability to land in all kinds of trouble and then find some more than it was a sign that he was in worse shape than originally thought. She waited for an appraisal, but none seemed to be forthcoming. She took Auggie's hand back into her own. The injured tech op squeezed her fingers as soon as they touched his.

"Stay with him," Easom instructed and left the room briskly.

Annie watched until he disappeared down the hall and then turned back to Auggie. "How ya feeling?" she asked. She wasn't entirely sure he was even awake.

"I've been worse the last couple days," he answered slowly. "Really."

"At least it's over now. Life can go back to our kind of normal and we won't have to worry about the leak anymore." She hesitated and bit her lip before continuing. "And you won't have to worry about Liza anymore, either."

"They arrest her too?" Auggie asked, his own voice sounding distant to his ears.

"I don't know," Annie answered honestly and glanced back at the hallway. Dr. Easom was making his way with a nurse and supplies in tow.

Impulsively, she bent down and pressed her lips to his forehead, grateful that he couldn't see her blush. "I'm really, really glad that you're okay, Auggie. And you had better plan on staying that way." She whispered fiercely as she stepped back to allow Easom room to move the equipment in. Around he and the nurse she could see him hooking up IVs that would not only provide the antibiotics to keep the infection at bay, but also blood to refill his veins. She hoped that it'd bring some of the color back into his face.

"Any word on Jai?" Auggie asked.

"Not in the last ten minutes, son. Give them time to work." Easom said.

"A lot can happen in ten minutes." Auggie insisted. "People get shot, dinners get interrupted..."

"Do you want me to go check?" Annie asked.

"Could you?" Auggie asked, cringing as Easom's prodding became less gentle.

Annie left the room with some reservations, glancing back several times. Auggie was in good hands, she reminded herself. Easom was the best and he knew how to handle Auggie better than any other doctor on the East Coast. She rounded the corner to see Joan walking into a waiting room, demanding information from a young man in scrubs.

People stopped to look at Annie as she moved down the hall, heels clicking hollowly against the tiles. She wondered how much had gotten out already, if they let Liza go if she'd already put a story in about the tragic twist of events regarding the former director, the betrayal and attempted murder of his son, how Henry been pulling a fast one over on poor Arthur Campbell. Although Liza probably wouldn't put a sympathetic twist in it for anyone but herself.

She found Conrad in the waiting area. "Hey." she said.

"Hey. You...uh, how's Auggie?" Conrad asked, deciding against pointing out all the blood on her white blouse.

"I don't know. Dr. Easom was hooking him up to IVs when I left them. He wanted to know about Jai, and I seemed to be getting in the way..." She took a steadying breath. "Do we know anything about Jai yet?"

"Not yet. He's only been back there for fifteen minutes. No bad news right now is good news, though, I guess."

Annie ran a hand through her hair. "Did they arrest Liza?" she asked.

"Not officially. They've taken her in for questioning. I think Arthur is going to do the interview personally." Conrad said with a grim smile. "We've got people working on making the connections Auggie did in case he's not able to provide the information before the need it. Of course, he'll probably make a full recovery and discover the cure for the common cold before they get to what he did." he added. Annie smiled

Joan looked exhausted as she approached them. "I hope you have better and more news from Auggie's end," she managed

"Easom's with him now, he should be fine. What happened?" Annie asked. The fear that had coiled itself around her when she'd seen Jai bleeding in Auggie's arms tightened again and threatened to strangle her all together. "Is it Jai?"

"They won't tell me a damn thing," Joan hissed, sitting abruptly into a chair. "They know something. I know they do."

"It's only been fifteen minutes," Conrad sighed. "As long as he's not dead, this is progress." He quickly silenced himself at the double glare he received in return for his thoughts. "You two...Never mind." Conrad said. "I'm going to go somewhere where I can't say anything else unfortunate. And when I come back I'll have coffee."

"Sugar." Annie said.

"Creamer." Joan added. She turned her gaze to Annie once he'd gone. "They came to you." she said.

"Yes."

"Did you know where they were going?"

"I knew about the safe house. I didn't know about the restaurant until Jai called after they were already on the way there. I called you immediately afterwards."

"But you knew their intent was to bring down Henry. And you knew that Auggie had voluntarily left with Jai."

"Yes." Annie said softly.

"I assume that you have something in your defense?"

"If an agent can't trust her handler, who can she trust?" Annie murmured softly. "Auggie is not a dumb person, nor is he overly trusting, especially of Jai, and so when they turned up together like that..."

Joan sighed heavily. "He may not be a dumb person, but Auggie has been known to do some incredibly reckless things in his time. This one may top it." She reached a hand to the bridge of her nose and began to try to relieve some of the stress built there.

"Sometimes reckless is right." Annie ventured. "You didn't get to where you are by playing safe or doing the conservative thing all the time. Sometimes you have to throw the dice to win the game."

"He's lucky he was right. He really would have gotten himself killed if he had been wrong and it would have brought half the DPD down with him. And you would have been one of the ones going down in his blaze of glory." Joan said.

"I know." Annie said. "He's worth the risk."

Joan said nothing, unwilling to agree out loud and unable to deny it.

* * *

A/N: So another issue with Gabi and I being in the same place is we scheme scenes up. The whole Jai-getting-shot scene came up when we were listening to Thriving Ivory's "Angel on the Moon." We just thought quite a few lines would fit. For those that haven't heard this wonderful song, here're the lyrics:

**Do you dream, that the world will know your name?  
So tell me your name.  
And do you care about all the little things,  
Or anything at all?  
I wanna feel, all the chemicals inside,  
I wanna feel.  
I wanna sunburn, just to know that I'm alive  
To know I'm alive.**

Don't tell me if I'm dying, 'cause I don't wanna know.  
If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go?  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreamin' of angels on the moon.  
Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon.

Do you believe, in the day that you were born?  
Tell me do you believe?  
And do you know, that every day's the first,  
Of the rest of your life?

Don't tell me if I'm dying, 'cause I don't wanna know.  
If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go?  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreamin' of angels on the moon.  
Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon.

This is to one last day in the shadows, and to know a brothers love.  
This is to New York City Angels and the rivers of our blood.  
This is to all of us, to all of us.

Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know.  
If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go?  
Don't wake me cause I'm dreamin' of angels on the moon.  
Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon.

You can tell me all your thoughts, about the stars that fill polluted skies  
And show me where you run to, when no one's left to take your side  
But don't tell me where the road ends, cause I just don't wanna know,  
No I don't wanna know

Don't tell me if I'm dying  
Don't tell me if I'm dying  



	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight.**

* * *

Hours passed, and Annie spent half her time walking in between the ER waiting room and the small room that Easom had set aside to work with Auggie. The tech agent was sleeping more or less peacefully now, allowing his body to begin to mend - a novel approach, his doctor had grumbled - and the antibiotics to filter out the infection. As Annie tiredly walked back to the waiting room she noticed the stir of commotion

_Oh God, he's crashed. They're calling in the crash cart_. Annie thought, running the last few yards to where Conrad stood, his hand on Joan's elbow. The DPD director looked ready to explode and take anyone standing within reach with her. When Annie reached the group she realized Joan would have been jabbing a doctor in the chest with her finger if it weren't for Conrad holding her back. Annie knew it was only because Joan was allowing him to hold her back. In her other hand she held her cell phone, waving it emphatically. Annie caught sight of Arthur's picture on the current call.

The doctor was saying, "Miss Campbell, as I've stated, Mr. Wilcox has been stabilized for the time being..."

Joan wrenched her arm out of Conrad's grasp and shoved the palm of her hand into the doctor's chest. "What did you just say to me? That's Director Campbell to you, and also Agent Wilcox to you. And the next time something of serious medical note occurs with one of my agents, doctor, I expect to be informed immediately. We are his next of kin I am his boss and you will keep me informed, damn you." Joan said. She turned and caught sight of Annie. "You, come with me."

Annie picked up her pace as Joan walked briskly away, leaving the stunned doctor in her wake. She led them to an empty exam room and shut the door behind them. She put the phone to her ear. "Go ahead, Arthur. Yes, he's stabilized now. He flat lined and was revived about ten minutes ago." Joan fell silent, her face darkening with every passing second. Conrad and Annie exchanged worried looks. "Yes, I'll send them to the scene. Yes, right now. Arthur...be careful." Joan hung up the phone and turned to her agents. "You'll need to go the address I'm about to text both of you. See if there's anything left that can be of use to us before local PD gets involved."

Annie looked at the address that popped up on her phone. "Joan, this is in the middle of nowhere." she said, confused.

"I know. It's the place the car transporting Henry Wilcox exploded. Arthur's en route. I'm staying here to keep an eye on tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. Leave now. Get back as fast as you can."

"Was... Was Wilcox in the car?" Annie asked, unsure of her words as they left her mouth.

"The last we knew of it," Joan responded. "Get going. I'll alert the both of you should anything dire happen here."

The two agents nodded and quickly left the hospital. Annie's mind was running wild as they walked out to Conrad's vehicle and climbed in. They had no proof that Henry Wilcox had not planned this and piled out of the car, somehow, before it blew. "That's a stretch though, right?" she asked Conrad after voicing the thought.

"Isn't this whole thing a stretch?" he grumbled and pulled the car onto the highway.

"It depends on whether or not we find the bodies of the agents escorting him. The car couldn't have possibly burned hot enough to incinerate all three of them. If Wilcox paid them off, none of them will be in the car. If Wilcox somehow gave them the slip, only he won't be in there. If we're lucky, he cooked like a chicken and we won't have to worry about it." Conrad said after a moment of silence.

Annie chewed on her lip. "But if the car blew up and he was in it, who did it?"

"That's going to be the million dollar question," Conrad agreed quietly.

* * *

The hallways were quiet with early morning nurses being the only real movement through them. One tried to stop the blonde director, but was quickly put in her place as Joan Campbell rounded the corner and pushed open the door to her head tech op's room. Easom was not in it and so she shut it quietly behind her. "Good morning, Auggie."

The dark haired man stirred, blinking against the darkness. He shifted in the bed and a smile crossed his lips. "'morning, Joan."

He heard the clicking of her heels against the tile. She hadn't made this visit yet and, though she would never admit it, she felt slightly guilty over it. She'd seen him leaving the restaurant and how pale and sick he'd looked and she wasn't sure, after all of the chaos that had accompanied Jai's surgery and now shaky recovery time after that had left her yelling at the doctors at every turn, that she was willing to see another one of her operatives in that state at the same time. She shifted the bag on her shoulder and reminded herself that if Annie, Conrad, and Arthur made it to the scene of the wrecked car and Henry Wilcox was not amongst the deceased then they would need Auggie's data more than ever. "How are you feeling?" she asked, keeping her voice even.

Auggie shrugged the shoulder on the uninjured side of his body. "Been better, been worse. If you can get me a laptop I can get you what you need to make the charges against Wilcox official. Has he lawyered up or is he above all that?" he asked.

"Auggie..." Joan said. There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that he was one of the best agents she'd ever had the privilege to work with, one of the best men she'd ever known, that if Jai didn't survive that it wouldn't be his fault, that if Wilcox had died in the explosion that all his work on the leak wouldn't have been for naught. She didn't know what to say, so the silence lingered. Auggie tensed, sensing her hesitation.

"Have we... Have we lost Jai?" he asked at last, voice shaky and unsure. It was a tone that sounded very strange coming from him.

"No," Joan answered after a moment. "He's holding on. He... crashed a while back, but they revived him and he's been steady since."

"So what's the problem?" She silently shook her head. To anyone outside of the CIA - hell, outside of the DPD - that question would have been logged under the world's dumbest. What wasn't the problem right now?

"I have your laptop right here," she told him at last, handing it to him.

His fingers moved deftly over the messenger bag and pulled the computer from it, making sure the Braille readout was hooked up correctly. The speakers alerted both agents that it was warming up. "There's something you're not telling me, Joan."

She sighed. Damn him. She hated that trick. He'd always been good at knowing what others did not, but the talent had heightened itself since he lost his sight. "The car that was transporting Henry Wilcox exploaded en route."

Auggie paled considerably. "Exploded?" His fingers started to fly across the keyboard. "I read something... there. Look here."

Joan leaned over and she felt fear grip at her. "I have to call Arthur. They're all walking into a trap."

* * *

Thanks to dozens of looky-lous who called in the explosion as they blew past it on the highway, local PD had already swarmed the scene by the time Arthur arrived. While he could appreciate a hard-working man just doing his job, the sheriff refusing to give him ten minutes when his agents arrived was beginning to grate on his very worn last nerve.

He caught sight of Conrad getting out of a car fifteen feet away, arguing with an officer standing by the bright yellow crime scene tape that roped off the area. Arthur prayed that Annie would have better luck. His phone vibrated in his pocket, signaling Joan's fifth attempt to call him in as many minutes, and again he ignored it. He didn't have time to deal with knowing if one of the boys hadn't made it. There would be time for that after getting Sheriff My Scene to give him what he needed.

Annie had convinced the officer at the tape to let them through and she checked her phone. She had two missed calls from Joan, but there was no service. "Hey, do you have service?" she asked Conrad.

He checked and shook his head. "Nope. Let's get this over with. It's freezing out here."

She nodded and winked back at the blushing New York cop that had held the tape for them. Arthur motioned for them to come closer. "Think you can work that charm on him?" he asked, pointing at the sheriff.

Annie wrinkled her nose at the idea. "Doubtful. He looks pissed."

"And he's coming this way," Conrad added, looking very much like he'd rather be going the other.

"What the hell kind of crap is this, Director Campbell?" the sheriff demanded.

"I'm sorry?" Arthur asked, a bushy eyebrow raised in question.

"You CIA with your strange happenings. Where the hell are the bodies?"

All three became very still. "What do you mean, where are the bodies? The car is still smoldering. Perhaps the bodies aren't quite like they used to be. Or were you expecting Henry Wilcox to be sitting in the midst of flames untouched, horns and pointy tail springing from his person?" Arthur finally asked stiffly.

"Listen, don't get smart with me, buster. You may have access to all sorts of high tech toys, but we're no backwoods bunch of ignoramuses out here. My boys are telling me that we're detecting no traces of human remains in that car and smoldering it may be, but it wasn't hot enough to cremate all three of them at once. It was bomb, not a giant microwave."

"Let my people take a look at it," Arthur pressed.

"You have no jurisdiction here."

"I know, and that's why I'm asking - pleading with you - to let us take a look." Annie glanced at Conrad and the other was glancing at her. This did not bode well.

The sheriff shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Fine. You get five minutes."

"Ten would be better."

"Five."

Arthur nodded to Annie and Conrad and they headed across the short distance to where Henry Wilcox had met his maker. _Or not_. Annie thought. She wondered if she could justify random homicide to the county Sheriff or the state troopers and decided that it probably wasn't her best option.

They got as close to the vehicle as they could, but neither Annie nor Conrad saw anything resembling the form of a human being. Arthur came to stand near Annie, also peering into the car.

"Damn." Arthur grimaced. "The bastard got clear again. So the question is, did he set the bomb or did somebody else? And if it was somebody else, who and how did Henry find out?"

"It wouldn't make any sense for Henry to do it. If he's working with the agents that were escorting him, why not just drive off into the dark? Never show up at the office? It'd be morning before anyone knew and Henry could be out of the country by then." Annie pointed out.

Conrad was staring into the darkness, frowning. "What if he never meant to leave the country?" the blond murmured. "I mean... He knew he was in for it as soon as Auggie believed Jai. It was just a matter of time. If he were going to flee the country it would have been then, when Jai was still on the run and before they could explain everything. It would have been easier." He pursed his lips together in thought.

Arthur knelt next to the car and his phone began blaring his wife's ring tone again.

"Well at least you get signal," Annie grumbled.

Arthur glanced up at her, putting her words together. He wasn't the only one that his wife was trying to contact. Quickly he pulled the phone from his pocket. "Yes?"

_"Arthur! Get out of there now!"_ Joan's voice over the line hit him like ice, the fear in her voice unusual and unexpected. He glanced up at Annie and then to Conrad who was taking a step back and reaching for Annie.

"Why, what is it?" Arthur asked. "Joan, what's going on?"

A high pitched whistling noise filled the air and Conrad was reminded of something his grandmother used to tell him. If you can hear the whistle, it's too late. It was a phrase from the Blitz during WWII, when bombs fell over the city. "Move!" Conrad barked, causing everyone to jump. "Move! Get down now!"

* * *

Joan Campbell felt a numbness take over her as she heard a loud shouts, screams, a thud, and finally silence. She stood with her back to Auggie, eyes wide and surprisingly filled with tears. It was a strange sensation. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried. Not even when she thought that Arthur was cheating on her. She wasn't sure that there _had_ been a last time.

"Joan?" Auggie's voice sounded behind her and she turned to see him staring in her general direction.

"The line went dead," she choked out.

Auggie instantly leaned forward and reached for her with one hand and her hand found his halfway. She held on for several seconds, tears slipping down her face. After a while she withdrew her hand and wiped the tears away. "See if you can find anything, and communication...something. I'm going to try the line again." she whispered.

* * *

When Annie opened her eyes, she was certain for a second that the world was on fire. The smell of smoke filled her nose and she blinked several times, trying to get her bearings. There was an ominous orange glow to the tree line off the highway. She tried to pull herself up only to realize there was a heavy weight half on her. Annie half rolled to the side. "Arthur!" she gasped. She reached down and grabbed his shoulder. Annie realized with dread that he must have covered her from the explosion. "Arthur?"

He gave a low groan and his eyes fluttered open. "This is why I leave the field work to the field agents nowdays," he grumbled with a grimace.

Annie glanced to the other side to see Conrad sitting up slowly, palm against the side of his head. Both men looked a little battered, but nothing life threatening.

"What the hell did you people _do_?" the sheriff's voice boomed somewhere nearby.

"Oh, because we planned that just for the fun of it. We really know how to liven up a crime scene, don't we?" Conrad snapped. "If you had just let us look at the damn car when we asked the first time we might have been able to prevent that little fiasco."

"Easy, Conrad." Arthur murmured.

Annie helped him to his feet. "Are you all right? That was...thank you." she said.

Arthur actually looked slightly embarrassed. "You're welcome. Some of us still display a little chivalry." he said, giving Conrad a look. Conrad muttered something under his breath and brushed off his suit. "Would someone please scan the area and make sure we're not about to be blown to kingdom come for a second time?" he growled.

The sheriff looked set to argue, thought twice about it, and stalked off to consult his people.

A tune began to sing from the charred ground and Arthur shot it an irritated glance. His eyes narrowed when he realized it was his phone - dammed indestructible things that the Agency provided - and scooped it up. Joan's picture lit the cracked screen and he accepted the call. "You very well just saved our lives, Joan," he murmured honestly and he heard the hitch in her voice on the other end.

_"You idiot. Are you all all right?"_

"I'm okay." Arthur said softly. "We're all okay. I don't think anyone was hit. How are you?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Joan answered. _"Tired. Grateful."_ Arthur understood.

One of the deputies ran up to Conrad. "Sir, we found the detonation site. It was a timed launcher. We don't think that Mr. Wilcox or any of his associates are still in the area."

Conrad ran a hand through his hair. "Of course they aren't. Henry's smarter than that. He's long gone by now." He did some quick mental calculations. If the time launchers were illegal import, the NSA would probably be appearing any second, and if the sheriff thought they were a problem he hadn't seen anything yet. "Hey, guys...we should probably get going." Conrad called to Annie and Arthur.

Arthur nodded in agreement and quickly ended his conversation with full promise to return. He turned to the sheriff. "Good luck," he offered only half sarcastically and the three of them started their way back up the hill, leaving a confused country sheriff in their wake.

"Damn CIA," he muttered and glared after them.

Once in the car, Arthur began placing calls for roadblocks and airport checks, placing teams in key locations should Henry decide to thing he'd gotten away scott free, or sent the DPD into a state of panic by killing a director and several more agents. After the fifth call he placed his phone down and sighed. "If I ever get my hands on him, I'll kill him myself."

"You may have to take a number." Annie said, only half jokingly

"You know," the director breathed and put his face into his hands, "I knew Henry Wilcox was a real sonovabitch, but I didn't think he'd go this far. I thought, maybe, if nothing else he had something like love for Jai."

"Any news about him?" Conrad asked. "Or Auggie?"

"I'd bet Auggie's the one that pulled that data that just saved our lives," Arthur murmured. "That boy is good." Annie couldn't help but smile at that

They arrived back at the medical facility without incident, although none of them had completely relaxed. Conrad disappeared as soon as they were inside to follow up on the assignments Arthur had doled out from the car. Arthur and Annie stepped off the elevator onto their floor, where Joan was waiting. Without taking her eyes off her husband she said to Annie, "Auggie would like to see you."

Annie merely nodded and headed back towards his room.

Joan took two steps forward and wrapped her arms around Arthur. He pulled her closely against him, one hand cradling the back of her head and tangling in her blonde hair. "I love you," she whispered, her voice cracking under the stress. "I don't say it enough."

He smiled and leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her lips. "It's okay, Joan," he promised her. "I'm all right."

"If you'd answered your damn phone earlier we could have avoided a near melt-down."

He laughed at the grumbling sound to her voice. "I know," he murmured and kissed her again. "I love you too."

* * *

Annie slipped into Auggie's dimly lit room. He sat propped up in the bed, looking tired and stressed with his laptop in his lap. Surely Easom didn't know he was working.

He perked slightly at the sound of her shoes tapping against the floor. "You smell like smoke," he murmured, tilting his head towards her. "Are you okay?"

Annie nodded, then shook her head at herself. "Yeah." she said quietly. She took the moment to look at him, really look at him. His expressive face, the set of his jaw that said he was worried, the way his eyes would sometimes search for her, the quirk of his lips and she tried to imagine what her life had been like before him and couldn't. She tried to imagine what her life would have been like if he hadn't made it and realized she didn't want to imagine that and knew her heart would break if it ever came true. "Auggie..."

A strange look passed over his face and he reached out to her. She covered the distance between them in a couple of quick steps and grasped his hand as if it were a lifeline. After a moment, she realized that he was returning the same locked hold with the same sense of desperation in it. "You scared me," he murmured honestly. "Joan couldn't get a hold of any of any of you. I thought we were too late. I thought I'd come across it too late." _I thought that I'd failed you._ The words weren't spoken aloud, but they hung just as heavy as if they had. Annie felt tears standing in her eyes and she bent down and kissed the hand that was in her own.

The warmth of her lips against his fingers set his skin on fire and made his heart beat faster. He reached up and brushed his other hand against her face, tucking strands behind her ear, relishing her warmth and her nearness. He tugged her closer and she followed where he led until their faces were close together, and taking a soft breath he pressed his lips to hers. All of the stress, the pain, and the fright from the day were temporarily put aside as they melted together. Annie felt herself leaning in and Auggie pressing back against the pillows, their hands still tightly latched together.

It wasn't by far the first time Auggie had kissed a girl, or a woman, but it was the first time that when he kissed a girl that among the fireworks going off in his mind were also the possibilities. Annie was good and smart and sweet and funny and knew the right thing to say or didn't and together they were good. Not only were they good, whenever she was near him Auggie felt like there was more and now that she was here with him in this moment they could be great life it self would be somehow better. He made a frustrated sound at the pinch he felt as he tried to pull too far away from the IV taped to his arm and Annie laughed against his mouth. There was no better sound in the world.

The sound of the door being flung open was accompanied by Richard Easom's irritated voice demanding, "What the hell has gotten you so... worked... up..." The doctor stood stiff at the door and both Annie and Auggie broke into fits of laughter.

"I'd love to see your face right now, Doc. Is it priceless?"

"Priceless," Annie assured him.

Auggie grimaced and tried to quell the tremors that his laughter produced. "Doc, you shouldn't make me laugh. It hurts."

Annie placed a steadying hand on Auggie's chest as Easom grumbled half heartedly. "I'm sure someone in this room could be convinced to kiss and make it better, and I assure you it won't be me." he said.

Annie smiled. "Oh, I'd be happy to."

"Oh stop, the two of you are making me blush." Auggie said.

"Ridiculous." Easom pronounced. "If me catching you en flagrante doesn't make you blush a little harmless innuendo certainly won't. Let me check a couple of things and I'll leave you two love birds alone." He leaned close to Auggie's ear. "A hint for you, Anderson, turn the monitor off if you don't want it to spike."

Auggie actually did blush at this.

"Also," Easom murmured as he closed Auggie's computer, put it aside and went about his business checked stitches and readouts, "your friend's awake."

"Jai?" Auggie and Annie asked together.

"Yes." Auggie began to sit up more, reaching for the IVs in his arm. Easom's hand caught his wrist. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Going to see Jai."

* * *

A/N: Okay, we're mostly up to date on where we are in the story. Please feed the review addiction =)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine.

* * *

**

He said it so simply and with such a need that it momentarily stopped Easom in his tracks. Easom knew Auggie had many great qualities, loyalty being among them, but his loyalty was something hard earned. From what Easom had seen over the years, not many managed or stepped up to the task. It was strange to see him now ready to pull out an IV and trek through corridors for his fellow agent. Easom sighed. "You aren't going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"I'm not," the former soldier said easily.

Easom let out a breath in the form of a sigh. "You're going to cause my early retirement or my death. One or the other." He released Auggie's wrist and unhooked him from the machinery. "Being that the CIA foresees all," the doctor said in a tone that could not be described as anything less than sarcastic, "there are a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie in the closet over there. Annie, would you be a dear and help him while I get a wheelchair."

"Wheelchair?" Auggie grumbled.

"That's your only option. If you turn it down I'm pumping you full of sedatives and you're not going anywhere."

"Can Annie push me?" Auggie asked, not caring if he sounded like a two year old.

Easom sighed again. "If she'll agree, she can push you to kingdom come. It's not like I don't have other patients to see." He scribbled out the location of Jai's room and handed it to her. "In fact, I may make a round now. If you need me, you'll be able to find me." he said. He left with the promise to return momentarily with the transport of choice and Annie helped Auggie change.

"Damn, they're making him work while up here?" Annie asked as she handed Auggie his clothes. She turned momentarily, feeling her cheeks heat as he tugged the accursed hospital gown from his tattered body and slipped into the sweatpants.

"He's from New York," Auggie answered as he felt around for the hoodie. "Langley actually called him in when I came home from Iraq and offered to extend his training if he'd do what he could to save my sight."

Annie risked a glance back. She tried to keep her surprise quiet when she saw the bruises and the angry redness around Auggie's main wound. "So they kept him on?" she asked after a moment, when she was sure that her voice was steady again.

"Yeah. He oversaw all of my physical therapy and such."

"He seems like a good man."

"Don't let him fool you," Auggie answered with a wicked grin. "He can be a total ass." The grin faded into a fond smile. "But he puts up with me, so I don't complain as much as I could." He slipped the hoodie around his shoulders and zipped it up. "You ready?"

Easom brought the wheelchair back before she could answer. "In you go." he said.

Auggie made a face and plopped down. "I'm ready." Annie acknowledged. "Are you?"

Auggie took a deep breath. "Yeah. Let's go."

Easom watched them until they were out of sight down the hall. He shook his head. Maybe a good woman would be able to keep Auggie in line. He half grinned to himself. Who was he kidding? The right woman would be helping him cross all the lines.

* * *

A nurse exited Jai's room and smiled at them as they approached. "Are you hear to see Mr. Wilcox?"

Auggie grimaced. "Jai, yes." he murmured.

"He's awake, but just bearly. You probably shouldn't stay too long."

"Of course," Auggie answered and felt Annie push them into the room. It was quiet except for the steady beeping of the machines. Very slightly he could hear the sound of someone shifting. "Annie? Auggie?"

"Hey, how you feeling?" Auggie asked, reaching a hand out and finding Jai's arm. He felt the other man shrink away and he remembered the bullet he'd taken in the arm at the safehouse. "They say I'll make it. Glad to see you up and around, so to speak," Jai managed, his voice raw sounding.

"Why walk when you can be wheeled around in luxury by a very lovely lady?" Auggie asked with a smile. He moved his hand lower and found Jai's wrist. "The only part of you not injured right now, huh?" he asked quietly.

Annie squeezed his shoulder, went around and kissed Jai on the cheek. "I'm glad you're okay." she said softly. "I'm going to run to the ladies room and I'll be back in a second, okay?" She slipped out before either could protest.

"Jai, I need to-" Auggie began just as Jai was saying, "Auggie, listen-" They both chuckled uncomfortably.

"Go ahead," Jai offered.

Auggie sighed deeply. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You saved my life."

"Well," Jai murmured thoughtfully, "direct today, aren't we?" He laid his head back against the pillow, the conversation already draining him.

"You saved my life. I don't see why I should beat around the bush."

"You don't need to thank me." Jai said. "I...Auggie...you put yourself on the line for me more than anyone I've ever known. Please don't thank me."

Auggie sat motionless, for once not knowing what to say. He switched his grip from Jai's wrist to his hand. They sat in silence until Auggie was sure the elder man had fallen asleep.

Annie returned quite a while later, murmuring that Easom demanded that he get some rest. They continued their days like that, each recovering until a week later they were transferred back to Langley. "Guess things are about to return to normal," Auggie murmured as he buttoned up his dress shirt.

Annie shifted uncomfortably by the window of the small medical room. "I guess Joan hasn't told you then."

"Told me what?"

"Auggie...Jai's resigning from the DPD. He's transferring back to London." she said quietly. "Joan approved the form yesterday."

Auggie's hands stilled over the final button before dropping them to his sides. "Why? Did he tell her why?"

"He said his assignment has been completed. He was assinged here to help bring...Ben in and that's over now. It's time to go back."

Auggie balled his hands into fists and rolled his shoulders. "No." he said. Annie frowned.

"No?"

"It isn't that simple. He can't just...Annie, he's part of the team, now."

She sighed, the sound giving off the heaviness she felt. "Listen, Auggie, Jai said that he had to go. He was very adiment about it, and..." She closed her eyes. "We're all going to miss him, but we can't keep him."

The tech op frowned and groped for laser cane. "He hasn't been released yet, right?"

"He won't for another few days, from what the doctor that was assigned to him said. Auggie, you won't be able to talk him out of it. Joan's tried. I've already tried. Hell, I even hear Arthur tried." "But I haven't tried."

She grimaced. "Listen, you two hated each other just weeks ago. I know you two... bonded on your little trip, but..."

"He took shots for me. Shots he didn't need to take, okay? He's a good agent and a good man. Those are actually a little hard to come by and now that I know, kind of for certain that he really isn't like his dad, who in fact tried to kill me three or four times, I lost count, and Jai did not try to kill me, I think he might be a good person to keep around! Besides, if he goes we get somebody knew and we have this whole awkward adjustment period..."

Annie crossed her arms and didn't both to keep the smirk off her face. "First, I hope that I don't rank on your awkward experiences scale, and secondly you are totally going to miss him."

"No I'm not, because he's not going anywhere." He stood and left the room without an other word.

He covered the short distance between the two med rooms and felt the door swing open under his hands. "Jai?"

"I'm awake."

Auggie entered and closed the door behind him. "I hear through the grapevine that you're trying to go back to England. I'm here to get the whole mess cleared up."

Jai turned away from the window where he'd been standing and put his hands in his pockets. He smiled, wondering if Auggie would be amused if he could see that he was up and dressed as well. Jai had figured he would make a quiet exit, spend a couple of days on the town, maybe spend some time with Callie, visit his mom and then fly back to England. He should have known that it wouldn't get past Auggie, even without a computer at his disposal. "No mess, Auggie. My flight leaves in four days." he said quietly. "My paperwork is signed sealed and delivered."

"Bullshit."

"I'm sorry?" Jai hadn't been expecting the brief flash of hurt that crossed Auggie's features.

"You're full of bullshit if you think that you can drag me through the hell hole that was those couple of days, and then just skip out. I know you're smarter than that."

"Listen, Auggie, I've got to go. You wouldn't have ever gone through all that if I weren't here..."

"That's a load of crap. Henry would have found some other way to come at me. The fact that I'm alive is thanks to you."

"Fine. You're welcome. You're safe, that's what matters. To keep you and the rest of the department that way, it's best if I leave now. If Henry is still alive, I'll be able to trace him from London." Auggie stepped forward. "Yeah? And what if Henry comes back here? Comes after us again? Comes after Annie?" He swallowed. "Comes after me?"

"Don't pull that stunt with me. I saved you, yes. You saved me. You got on fine without me before, you'll get on fine with the new guy."

"Yeah but I won't trust him." Auggie snapped. Jai shut his eyes and Auggie grit his teeth. "Besides, how many freakishly awesome blind tech agents will you have backing you in London?" "None. You would be the only awesome tech guy I know."

"Stay." Auggie's voice only had a hint of the pleading that was behind the statment.

Jai watched him carefully, feeling something akinned to guilt tugging at him. "I won't put any of you in danger."

"Stop it. You know that we're no more in danger with you there than if you stayed." He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I trust you, Jai. That doesn't happen easily, but somehow you managed to fit in one of those few slots."

"Somewhere between the first bullet and the last?" Jai asked with a small smile.

Auggie laughed. "Maybe between the second and the third. After the first I was still kind of iffy." Auggie was moving forward again, and Jai could tell he was following the sound of his voice, confused why it wasn't coming from the hospital bed. "Jai, you should know."

"Stop."

"No, really, listen."

"No, Auggie, you have to stop or you're going to run into the bed. Turn on your laser."

"I...oh." They both started laughing and couldn't stop. Auggie reached out and grabbed the railing on the bed to steady himself. When they calmed Auggie lifted his laser until it rested on Jai's form standing by the window. "Jai."

"I've got to go."

"No you don't."

It was a standoff of wills as the two men stared at each other - one in the other's general direction - and Auggie heard Jai approaching. The elder man's hand grapsed his shoulder and he could tell that he was shaken. His breathing was somewhat unsteady and his grip indicated the internal battle.

Auggie reached out and placed a mirroring hand on Jai's good shoulder and squeezed. Jai searched Auggie's face and only found sincerity there. He sighed heavily and Auggie braced himself for the letdown. Jai tugged Auggie forward into a loose hug. "Okay." Jai whispered. "Okay."

A grin spread across the younger man's face, lighting up his entire demenor. "Really?" he asked, looking somewhat boyish in his actions.

"Don't make me repeat it. I'll tell Joan I'm staying. She'll be thrilled." Jai sounded less than, but a smile perked his lips. It was nice - strange, but nice - to have these people that he could rely on. It was something new that he'd have to become acostomed to. He wasn't sure when it'd happened, but the fact was that it had. He had somehow won the trust of one of the least trusting agents that he'd ever known, and the tech op had certainly earned his trust. In the end, perhaps they would make a stronger team together than apart.

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap, people. There's a chance that we might write a sequel eventually, but next on our plate we're writing a series of one-shots for the new Hawaii Five-0 show (which is being put up on Gabrielle Day's profile. Go check it out!) and a multi-chapter White Collar fanfic. Sorry that it took me so long to get this up. I've been sick lately. Never fun.

Please, reviews are our addiction. Feed the addiction.


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